Komorebi
by Little Miss Bunny
Summary: Finally fed up with her son's school in Tokyo, Nana decided to move back to her hometown and raise Tsuna properly on her own. No one expected him to tap into his medical genius, but it might've been for the best. Nana would do anything for her son. But, moving back to Namimori may have been the worst decision she made in the long run. Older!Tsuna, Surgeon!Tsuna. Slow build.
1. Prologue

_Komorebi (n.): sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees_

* * *

Nana resisted the urge to punch the elderly man in front of her. Still, she folded her hands over her lap and listened to what the principal had to say. Her son, Tsuna, shifted in his seat and grimaced from the cut on his lips and Kami knows what other injuries the small boy sustained. She patted his thin shoulder comfortingly, noting to feed him more or get him to fatten up sometime soon. Really, this was just unhealthy. It just made her even guiltier for leaving him home alone most days. The hospital was always hectic and she couldn't even deny the fact that she was avoiding the death of her husband by drowning herself in work.

But now, she had the chance to be there for her son, even though it wasn't under better circumstances.

"So," she said calmly, "are you telling me that my son beat up a boy twice his size because he was unintentionally provoked by the said boy?"

Principal Yoshizawa was a meek man—everyone knew it. Easily influenced by money and prestigious reputation, Yoshizawa always went the easy route with the most minimal repercussions. This had the school funded quite generously, which led to better reputation, better faculties, and better test scores. However, that didn't mean jackshit to Nana. Students should be a school's number one priority. Not taking care of them was basically a sin in her book.

There was a thin line of sweat on the side of the balding man's head. "Ah, well, Satou-san, you know this hasn't been the first time Tsunayoshi was involved in a fight. There were—"

"My son is smaller than most kids his age," Nana said, clenching her hands tighter together. "I know you know that, Yoshizawa-san. He is also a pacifist. There is nothing that could have provoked him so much for him to break that boy's nose unless it was self-defense."

Mrs. Akiyama, the other boy's mother, scoffed and looked at her with her wide brown eyes, thick and prominent with the help of her black eyeliner. "Satou-san, look at my son! He is bleeding! His nose is broken and he must be hospitalized. Surely you would know how serious this is."

Nana's eye twitched. Before Principal Yoshizawa could say another word—useless at this point if Nana might add—she cut him to it. "A broken nose can heal, Akiyama-san. My son isn't faring any better."

The other woman looked scandalized. "Are you saying my son's injuries are nothing?"

"Please don't put words in my mouth, Akiyama-san. And all he has is a broken nose."

"How dare you!" Mrs. Akiyama abruptly stood up and jabbed a manicured finger at Tsuna's direction. "Your animal of a child attacked my son! Over nothing nonetheless! I suggest you leash him somewhere so he won't maim others. I heard he even beat some other students not even weeks ago over something trivial too!"

Nana stood up as well, shielding Tsuna from the other woman's fury. She grabbed Mrs. Akiyama's hand , who froze, her eyes growing impossibly wider.

"I suggest you don't point a finger at my son who did no wrong, Akiyama-san." Her voice was unnervingly calm and restrained. "Before you tend to another thing that is broken."

"Satou-san—"

Principal Yoshizawa flinched when Nana glared at him. She glanced at the other woman's son and was satisfied to see that the little shit was cowering under her gaze. Ah, the dominance over others was a welcoming feeling. Having control of the situation was quite nice. She slightly wrinkled her nose when she imagined her husband chastising her for her haughtiness. Now was not the time to think about that.

She could tell Tsuna was trying hard not to stifle his laughter, only doing so by rubbing his nose. That made her smile slightly.

"Instead, teach your son not to pick on others." Nana narrowed her eyes at the other boy who tensed. "It's pathetic."

Mrs. Akiyama managed to snatch her hand away from Nana's strong grip. "You—You—No wonder your son is an animal. You're a monster!"

Nana smiled thinly. "I take that as a compliment, Akiyama-san."

She grabbed her bag and gently prompted for Tsuna to get up. She directed her gaze at Principal Yoshizawa who only shrank further into his chair. What a pathetic worm.

"This has been going on for too long and I will be withdrawing my son from this school. I'm sure everyone else will be happy with that. This place is doing nothing for Tsuna and is just wasting his time. Now, we'll be taking our leave."

She firmly grasped Tsuna's hand and left the room before anyone could say a word. Once they managed to leave the school building, Nana let out a frustrated sigh and kicked a stray pebble from her path. "Really, I barely managed to pummel the punk right then and there. Did you see him smirking? Kami-sama, and that old man. What a bunch of stuck-up assholes!"

"Okaa-san!" Tsuna said, though there was no heat behind his words. "Someone can hear you!"

Nana rolled her eyes. "I don't care. I'm done with this place. We're through with this place." She looked at her son in concern. "Are you alright, Tsuna? Actually, that was a stupid question. Come on, let's go get you cleaned up. Is there anything else I should know?"

Tsuna smiled weakly. "This is nothing, Okaa-san. I'm fine."

Her heart sank. For her son to just say that it was nothing… She had suspected he was being bullied before but never had the time or the guts to sit him down and make him explain. Too often she would overwhelm herself with work at the hospital rather than to face all her life's failures. But how could she think that her son was one of her failures? He was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Except…she would see Koji whenever Tsuna fussed over her health and made sure she was fed properly, could see Koji's warmth reflected in Tsuna's brown eyes, which she was glad was from her. Koji had darker eyes, almost black, but that did nothing to conceal his kindness.

She steeled herself. No. This wasn't the time to get distracted. So, she turned to Tsuna with a big smile and said, "Want to get something to eat? It'll be lunch soon."

Tsuna blinked. "You have work. I can manage at home."

It was all on a sudden whim that Nana could barely stop herself from saying, "I quit."

Tsuna widened his eyes. "What?"

Nana grinned, mentally making a note to send in a resignation letter tomorrow morning. "Yeah, no more hospital work for me."

"But what about—"

"Tsuna, you're more important. I can't just watch you being surrounded by such a toxic environment."

They both walked across the streets in silence. Cars and pedestrians passed by them as the bustling of Tokyo dominated the air. Nana had never liked the city life—there were so many people and not enough space for her to breathe. It was suffocating. She missed Namimori, a quaint and comfortable town where she was born and raised. Sometimes Koji would tell her how much he wanted to go back whenever he came back from an exhausting patrol round and she could only agree.

They met in Namimori and had wanted to live there for the rest of their lives, but that was only wishful thinking on their part. Life took unexpected turns and Koji was transferred to the Tokyo Police Department. Nana had followed him, not wanting her husband to be alone in a large, foreign environment. There were some ups and downs, but their hearts always belonged to Namimori.

"Okaa-san." Tsuna's soft voice snapped Nana out of her thoughts. "What are we going to do now?"

Nana chuckled sheepishly. "Well, no more school. How about that?" She frowned. "I'm sorry, Tsuna. I kind of just went in and did my thing there. If… If you still want to go, I won't say anything. But I won't agree with your decision. I can't risk you getting hurt anymore."

Tsuna shrugged helplessly. "I'm actually okay with it. Never really liked the place. I'm just worried about you."

What did Nana do to deserve such a kind son? She swallowed a small lump in her throat before forcing a grin. "That's good! For a second, I thought you wanted to go back."

Tsuna huffed. "I'm not a masochist, Okaa-san. I kind of like to be alive, thank you very much."

"Don't sass me, young man."

Tsuna snickered but didn't say anything. They continued to walk in comfortable silence with no set location in mind. A nice breeze caressed Nana's cheek before the earthy scent of a nearby construction site overwhelmed her nose. Tsuna never let go of her hand as they maneuvered through thick crowds and busy streets.

"Tsuna," Nana said suddenly, "what do you think about a change of scenery?"

Tsuna tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean, Okaa-san?"

Nana smiled. "Have I ever told you about Namimori?"

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you liked it! It's a first story from me for the lovely KHR fandom.**

 **See you all (hopefully) in the next chapter, peeps! :^)**


	2. Chapter 1

" _The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone."_ – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

* * *

Tsuna was settled quite comfortably in Germany when his mother called him abruptly one night to relay the devastating news.

"Endo-san is very sick, Tsuna."

He dropped everything in a second and booked the earliest flight to Namimori, arriving back home a year or two earlier than expected. He had wanted to come back sooner but his studies had taken up so much of his time he could barely find time to rest or think.

Ema, his most trusted confidant and assistant, was the first person he had told before taking off. She responded that she would arrive at Namimori the day after.

The first thing Tsuna did when he arrived back home was hug his mother at the door. It had been three years since he last saw her and her comforting scent nearly brought him to his knees.

"I'm home," Tsuna said quietly.

"Welcome home, Tsuna," Nana whispered into his hair.

The second thing he did was pass out on his bed, welcoming the much-needed sleep.

When morning came, Tsuna grudgingly woke up at exactly six. His sleep schedule might be fucked but his body was conditioned to the point that he had to wake up early in the morning. Being a light sleeper didn't help at all either. No matter how many times he thought of sleeping in on some rare days, he was too paranoid to do it. An emergency could occur anytime and he had to be prepared for anything.

He quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth before walking downstairs to the kitchen. The familiar scent of miso soup and rice wafted in his nose and he hummed contently. Shit, when was the last time he had a homemade meal or even ate a proper one?

"It smells good, Mama," he said, pulling out a chair.

Nana smiled, clearly happy having her son home. "I'm glad. Here. Eat up." She frowned, eyeing him up and down. "You lost weight. Are you eating properly? At all?"

Tsuna shoveled rice and egg in his mouth quickly then sipped the miso soup in one go, more tuned to a hectic schedule than a relaxed morning. "Can I have more rice?"

"You don't have to rush, Tsuna." Nana refilled his bowl and placed it in his eager hands. "Think of this as a small vacation. Relax a bit. It'll do you some good."

The brunet faltered a bit. "Endo-sensei… It's not a vacation if Endo-sensei is sick." He looked at Nana with furrowed brows. "How bad is it?"

Nana sighed, looking down at her cup. "It's…not looking too good. He was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. Stage 3B to be more exact."

Tsuna's hands tightened around his bowl. Stage 3B lung cancer was a tumor that spread to distant lymph nodes or other areas, such as the heart or esophagus. It was practically stage four. It wasn't curable, but it wasn't untreatable either. Just, surgery was not an option.

"How long has he had it?" he said quietly.

"A year now. He didn't want to tell you because he didn't want to distract you." Nana reached out to grasp Tsuna's hand. "He didn't want you to worry but I thought it was best if you knew. It would have been worse if you didn't."

Tsuna looked down at his mother's hand. It was warm against his and he remembered how he would seek for her touch for comfort, for some strength. It was…nice to have her by his side again. She, Ema, and Endo-sensei were the only ones he could lean on and who he knew would understand his struggles. If he didn't have them by his side, he would've drowned so many years ago in obscurity.

"Thank you," Tsuna said, swallowing a small lump in his throat. "Thank you for telling me, Mama. Can I see him today?"

Nana's eyes softened. "Of course. Though visiting hours won't be until eleven. You should explore Namimori a bit before then."

"I'll stay in the neighborhood for a while then. It's been a while anyway."

Nana nodded. "Of course." She then poked him in the cheek and grinned when he cried out a rather unmanly squeak. "Still adorable as always, my little Tsuna. Come on, tell me. Have you settled yet? Who's the lucky lady?"

Tsuna looked at her in disbelief. "What? Ema is only a friend! A _friend_!"

Nana laughed, which eerily sounded like a cackle. "Ema? Oh, sounds like a nice girl. Who is she? Will I get to meet her soon?"

The brunet resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Goddamnit, he just walked right into his mother's trap. Refraining a sigh, he said quite dully, "Mama, Ema is just a friend. She's my OR nurse from Munich. Please don't twist everything around. Besides, she's a few years older than me."

His mother feigned a scandalous look. "Oh, older? Wow, Tsuna, you're better than I expected."

" _Mama!_ "

"Is she nice? Pretty? When will I get to meet her?"

Tsuna internally groaned. He made a mental note not to mention that Ema was actually coming tomorrow.

* * *

Namimori University Hospital was the biggest hospital in town. Funded and established by the town's largest university, the hospital was one of the prouder establishments in the area. Though Namimori was quite average—the population was about 2,500—the hospital had tons of people bustling in and out. The crime rate in Namimori was also relatively average, if not lower, and the risks of getting into any accidents were uncommon. A lot of the citizens preferred to walk or bike.

In short, Namimori was just an average town with average statistics. Nothing crazy has ever happened, at least, not to Tsuna's knowledge since he left six years ago.

"I'll message you when I'm on my lunch break," Nana said, as they stopped in front of the main entrance. "There's a nice restaurant a few blocks down that I think you'll like."

Tsuna smiled. "Of course, Mama. I'll be around."

"Say hello to Endo-san for me when you get the chance."

"I will."

He kissed his mother goodbye in the cheek before she left for her morning rounds. Nana was a pediatric nurse. She had loved children ever since she babysat in middle school. There were times in the past when she chattered happily about her patients' progress and when they would get discharged; there were other times when she would come home at the dead of night, slip into Tsuna's bed, and hug him as if her life depended on it. Tsuna knew that regardless of the burdens, his mother loved her job and wouldn't trade it for the world.

The brunet glanced inside the hospital, noting that there were some doctors and nurses walking about with cups of coffees in their hands. A handful of people were in the waiting area, a few with children. He breathed in the strong antiseptic smell in the air before the doors closed and relaxed a bit at the familiarity. Already his fingers twitched to have a scalpel in hand and immerse himself in a world he felt most confident in.

He walked around the neighborhood a bit. Some pedestrians wandered about as Third Street was soon crowded with mothers and the elderly shopping for groceries. There were still some supermarkets around since the last time he came back to Namimori and he greeted some of the shop owners who recognized him.

As he walked further down to more inhabited areas, he saw a stream of chattering students wearing the familiar Namimori Middle uniforms. He couldn't help but smile. His life drastically changed when he moved to Namimori from Tokyo. At Namimori, there were people who cared.

 _Hmm, I wonder if Nezu-sensei still teaches,_ he thought, trailing behind the students.

Nezu-sensei was the first teacher to realize his genius and to _care_. He had even taught his mother in Namimori High before transferring to Namimori Middle a year after she graduated. After discovering Tsuna's intellect and brilliance, Nezu-sensei didn't waste time in informing Nana and making sure that Tsuna had the best resources possible to foster his talents. He had used his surprisingly broad network of connections and made sure that Tsuna had the best teachers possible. The brunet owed his life to Nezu-sensei. He missed the man dearly, barely having time to communicate with his first sensei since devoting all his time to his studies. It wouldn't hurt to drop by and visit while he was still in Namimori.

A tall yellow building then came into view. Tsuna couldn't help the smile from growing on his face. Students waved and met up with their friends before entering the school. He noticed a rather peculiar figure wandering around and breaking up groups as quickly as they had formed.

The young man looked to be about sixteen with black hair and unnervingly sharp eyes. Despite his young age, he still looked intimidating. A red armband was pinned to his left sleeve with the words 'Disciplinary Committee'. Strange, was there a committee like that before?

Tsuna smiled politely in greeting when the boy directed his gaze at him. He could still feel his eyes on his back when he entered the building. What a strange kid.

* * *

Eyes swiveled to his direction as soon as he politely knocked on the door to the teachers' room. Unperturbed by the sudden attention, Tsuna just smiled pleasantly and asked, "Excuse me, but is Nezu-sensei here?"

"Tsuna?"

An older man stood up from his desk and looked at him in disbelief. Nezu looked just about the same if not for his graying hair. His glasses were the same too.

Tsuna grinned. "Hello, Nezu-sensei."

Nezu snapped out of his stupor and eagerly crossed over to pull him into a quick hug. "Tsuna, it's nice to see you again! Endo-san told me you were in America."

The brunet smiled. "Well, I _was_ in America. I transferred to Germany four years ago. I just came last night."

Nezu sobered up. "Ah, so you've heard?"

Tsuna nodded. "That's why I came back."

The other teachers around them whispered to each other, obviously never seeing Nezu so soft. They mostly saw him as a strict, uptight man who expected nothing but perfection. Seeing him talking so warmly to an old student was bizarre.

Nezu glanced at the clock and cursed under his breath. "Tsuna, I'm sorry but I have to go to homeroom."

"It's fine, sensei." The brunet smiled sheepishly. "I knew this was pretty sudden. I can come back later if anything."

Nezu quickly gathered his papers and books. "Ah, yes. You still have my number, right? Let me know when you're available. I'll most likely be free after school." He grimaced. "Make sure you don't linger in the hallways. The Discipline Committee is rather a pain."

Tsuna looked at him, confused. "Did we ever have one before? I don't remember it."

Nezu sighed. "Trust me. You don't want to know. Just don't get into trouble."

Tsuna laughed. "I'll try."

They were about to leave when the door slammed open. A panting student looked at all the bewildered teachers with wide eyes.

"N—Nishimura-sensei," she sobbed. "Nishimura-sensei just collapsed!"

* * *

 **Wowza, you peeps make me so happy! 40 favorites and 73 followers already.**

 **To address one review—yes, because Tsuna's father is not Iemitsu, he does not have any Vongola blood; therefore, he is unable to be considered for the Decimo candidacy. That doesn't exclude him from getting entangled with the mafia though. :^)**

 **I hope you like the changes from the original story so far. Nezu was unexpected, huh? Might as well use him for what it's worth.** **Another thing, in order to clear up any confusion, it's been seven years since the prologue. This might have not been made clear in the chapter so I'm sorry about that. (/)**

 **Also, I am by no means a medical student or a science person—I'll try to keep the medical stuff as accurate as I possibly can. That's what research is for! Ahaha… Please don't hesitate to correct me if anything though.**

 **Drop a thought/question or two in the review section! I'll do my best to respond to everyone (with as minimal spoilers as possible, hehe).**

 **See you in the next chapter, peeps!**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	3. Chapter 2

" _Family is supposed to be our safe haven. Very often, it's the place where we find the deepest heartache."_ – Iyanla Vanzant

* * *

An uneasy feeling churned in Yoichi's guts and it didn't disappear since he woke up. Instead, it festered and grew, settling in the pits of his stomach, as he neared the kitchen.

"Ah, Yoichi-kun." His mother placed a bowl of rice in front of an infant. "Shinzo-kun already left for morning practice."

Yoichi stared at the strange guest. "Okaa-san, who is that?"

The infant, dressed in an all-black suit and tie, tipped his fedora—a fucking _fedora_ —in greeting. "Ciaossu. My name is Reborn. You must be Sawada Yoichi."

Yoichi stared even harder. What… What the hell? "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Junko looked just as confused as Yoichi was, but it was subtler under the guise of her smile. She set his own bowl of rice on the table across from the baby. "Well, he says he knows your father. We were just about to chat. It was quite cold and I couldn't leave him outside. Eat, Yoichi-kun. You don't want to be late for school."

Yoichi sat down at the table and could faintly feel Reborn's disturbingly blank eyes taking in his every movement. A small shudder went up his spine. He was certain Reborn wasn't a baby. There was no way in hell he could be. But… he _was_ a baby, small and all, even though the body proportion was questionable. He couldn't muster up the energy to even pinpoint an exact age.

Reborn's smile twitched slightly as if he knew what Yoichi was thinking. The boy chose to ignore it as a trick of light or something.

Junko sat down next to him and he was a bit relieved to see that he wasn't the only one questioning their sanity. He ate his breakfast slowly, losing his appetite midway. He didn't like wasting food but if he ate anymore he'd probably throw up. It irked him that Reborn was eating his meal without a care in the world.

"So, how do you know my husband, Reborn-kun?" Junko said, trying to keep a light tone. "You look…quite young to be here by yourself."

Reborn didn't seem unfazed by her words. Probably faced the same skepticism more than he could count, Yoichi thought.

"Iemitsu is an acquaintance of an acquaintance of mine," the baby said calmly. "We worked together on a few occasions." He glanced at Yoichi who tensed. "I came here to tutor your sons, Sawada-san."

Junko blinked. "Ara, tutor?" She smiled. "I'm—I'm sorry if I sound ignorant or rude but you look… _very_ young. If you don't mind me asking, Reborn-kun, how old are you?"

"I'm old enough to guide your sons to become the leaders of the next generation. I don't require any payment fee as long as I can have a place to sleep and free meals. I'm more than capable for this job, Sawada-san. There's no need to worry. After all, your husband sent me after all."

Junko continued to indulge the baby, despite her wavering smile. "Ah, I see. Well, I don't think my sons need tutoring. They're very smart boys and capable in school. Shinzo-kun is even top of his grade! And Yoichi-kun has helped the debate team become one of the best in the district."

Yoichi quietly set down his chopsticks and somehow managed to look Reborn in the eye. "Look. Even if my father sent you or not, we don't need you or your services. Okaa-san, don't give into this scam. I'm leaving."

"Yoichi-kun, watch your mouth! I'm sorry, Reborn-kun. He can be temperamental sometimes, but he's a really nice boy."

"Which is why I'm here, Sawada-san. I can teach your sons much more than academics. I am here to make them the leaders of the next generation."

Yoichi left the house before he could hear any more of the bizarre conversation. As he walked through his quiet neighborhood, he tried to think about other things that didn't include babies with fedoras and strange yellow pacifiers.

Wait, wasn't there a little green chameleon, too?

* * *

"Hey, Yo-kun, did something happen?" Emiko, co-captain of the debate team, looked at him with curious dark eyes. She poked his cheek and snickered when he glared at her. "You look even more miserable this morning."

"Go away," Yoichi grumbled, wiping his glasses with a thin cloth. "Not in the mood."

Emiko shrugged before sitting down on her seat next to him. It was useless anyway to get Yoichi to talk about anything other than politics and international security. Really, the boy should just relax.

Distant squeals came from outside the classroom. Shinzo, his older twin, walked into the room with a sheepish smile. Yamamoto, the baseball team's ace, stood behind him and laughed.

"They're energetic as ever, Shinzo," he said.

Shinzo shrugged helplessly as he took his seat in front of the class. "Nothing I can do about it. Just glad I made it out alive." He caught Yoichi's gaze and smiled. "Hey, Yo-chan!"

Yoichi just turned his gaze towards the window. He hated it when his brother smiled like that, hated it even more when he called him by that stupid nickname. No one knew why he was always so cold to Shinzo; even Emiko called him out on it sometimes. Most called it sibling rivalry—Yoichi _was_ second in the whole grade—and something akin to jealousy. What they didn't know was that Shinzo terrified him. His _brother_ terrified him. Shinzo wasn't right in the head and only Yoichi knew…

The door opened quietly as everyone rushed to their seats. Nishimura-sensei, their homeroom and English teacher, walked to the podium, almost dragging her feet. She was a bit paler than usual. Again, she wore a long skirt that reached her ankles and looked as if she couldn't tie her hair up properly too.

"Yo-kun, Nishimura-sensei looks worse than yesterday," Emiko whispered.

Some of the students seemed to agree as they looked worriedly at their teacher. Yoichi widened his eyes as the teacher steadied herself on the podium. It wasn't new for the students to see their teacher look a bit under the weather (though she looked like death itself today). She hadn't looked very well for a few weeks and because of that, the debate team had to cut their practices short before a certain prefect could catch them. Hibari didn't trust students to run club meetings without their advisers present and the debate team wasn't willing to go against him.

Yoichi opened his mouth to say something but the school's idol cut him to the chase.

"Nishimura-sensei," Kyoko said, "are you okay? You don't look very well."

Their teacher blinked a couple of times, as if slowly realizing where she was. She smiled thinly. "Ah, I'm fine, Sasagawa-san. Just a little dizzy. I'm sure it'll pass."

Her voice was hoarse and Yoichi had to lean forward to hear what his teacher was saying. _Danger!_ ran around his mind in dizzying circles.

"I think you should go rest, sensei," Shinzo said slowly, standing up. "You're very pale. Here, I'll help you back to the teachers' room. Takeshi, can you help me?"

The typically happy-go-lucky student nodded and it looked strange to see him a bit more serious than usual. But the situation didn't have anyone laughing.

"Well, I suppose that won't hurt," Nishimura-sensei mumbled. "Thank you…"

All eyes followed the three. The air grew thicker with tension when they reached the door. Nishimura-sensei stumbled and everyone suddenly froze. For a split second, no one breathed.

Yoichi watched, wide-eyed, as Nishimura-sensei crumpled to the ground. Yamamoto was barely able to catch her in time, cushioning her head against his hand. She was still, too still. Yoichi thought she was dead but his guts said otherwise.

Someone screeched.

A door slammed open from across the hall. "What the hell is— _Nishimura-sensei_!"

Ota-sensei quickly knelt by her side and leaned down, his ear against her mouth. He paled, glancing at the terrified students, before he was pulled away.

"Ota-sensei, please make room," Nezu-sensei said, suddenly appearing at the door. His face looked grim as he looked down at the younger teacher. "I already called for the ambulance. Everyone, please calm down."

Kyoko stood behind him, her eyes teary, and was trying hard not to cry out. Somehow, she managed to slip out of the classroom amidst the chaos and bring help.

A blur of gray brushed past him. Yoichi blinked, suddenly realizing the brunet's presence. He looked young, with a soft face and short brown hair. His grey sweater hugged his lean frame and he was clearly skilled from the way his hands pressed slightly on Nishimura-sensei's chest. For some reason, he looked oddly familiar. Yoichi couldn't place his name but he remembered seeing that face somewhere.

Everyone stayed quiet when the man pressed his head against their sensei's chest again, his light brown eyes narrowing in remarkable concentration.

"She still has a pulse," he said in the silence, "but she's not breathing."

It was amazing that he could continue to focus on the situation when the class just erupted.

"Kami, is she dead?"

"Will she be okay?"

"Is Nishimura-sensei going to be okay? When is the ambulance coming?"

Nezu-sensei silenced everyone with a scowl, though there was less heat behind it. "She'll be fine. The ambulance will be arriving in ten minutes. Tsuna here is a doctor. Everything will be _fine_."

Tsuna—Satou Tsunayoshi. Yoichi remembered who the brunet was. He was featured in an exclusive newspaper article once that Yoichi read out of boredom years back. The young genius surgeon from Namimori, Japan. There were no words to express how much Namimori loved the boy, who brought recognition to a relatively average town in Japan that most people forgot existed. At age twelve, he gained the attention of one of the leading cardiothoracic surgeons in the country and performed his first surgery at fourteen in Italy.

Now, he was in Yoichi's classroom.

"There's no time," Tsuna said. "She'll be brain dead by the time the ambulance arrives. You, give me your jacket."

Yamamoto blinked, startled at the sudden command, before shrugging off his baseball jersey and handing it to him. Tsuna quickly folded it and removed Yamamoto's hand, gently placing the jacket under their teacher's head.

The brunet patted his own pants pockets before pursing his lips. "Shit, I have nothing on me. Nezu-sensei, do you have a pen? Anyone, pen?"

The students stared at him, confused, as Nezu-sensei desperately tried to find a pen on him.

"Any day now," the brunet snapped.

Nearly everyone flinched at his sharp gaze. Yoichi could barely move, barely breathe, and yet his guts told him that it was _okay_. That Tsuna was _safe_ and _warm_ and that everything would be _fine_.Today was just getting more and more bizarre by the second.

"Here." Shinzo handed the young surgeon a ballpoint pen. Even Yoichi couldn't believe at how calm his brother was despite the alarm in his eyes.

Tsuna took it with a nod of thanks. He unscrewed the barrel before tossing it away. "I need you to hold her down for me. Nezu-sensei, kid, I need you to move away."

After Shinzo held down Nishimura-sensei down by the shoulder and the other two back away, Tsuna snapped the pen in half, blowing away any plastic shards left behind.

"Holy shit, what is he doing?"

"I thought they only did that in _movies_."

"Is he really a doctor? Doesn't look older than my cousin and he just graduated high school."

"Guys, shut the fuck up."

Tsuna lifted their sensei's shirt. Nearly everyone turned their heads away, flushing at the sudden skin exposure. With unnerving calmness, he raised one half of the pen and stabbed it into her side, eliciting shrieks from the students. Shinzo widened his eyes as Nishimura-sensei gasped, reaching out to grip Tsuna's arms tightly. Tsuna stabbed the other half in the exact same spot on her other side. Blood trickled from the puncture wounds and there was small hiss of air coming from the pens.

It was crude and violent but it seemed to work. Tsuna leaned over to administer CPR in their teacher's mouth before whispering comforting words in her ear. She never let go of his arms as she nodded, slowly regaining her bearings. The young surgeon didn't seem to mind.

"He used a pen to puncture a hole in the wall of the thorax," a familiar squeaky voice said, "to relieve the air pressure inside and allow the collapsed lung to expand. It's an extremely risky maneuver but he's very precise."

Yoichi looked down at his desk and nearly gaped. "You—What are you doing here?"

Reborn glanced at him, making the boy flinch. "Observing. He might be useful to us."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Yoichi blinked and the baby was gone, as if he was never there to begin with. Was this all a dream?

 _Please let this just be a dream,_ he thought.

"That was—That was amazing," Emiko said in awe. "He managed to save her. With a _pen_."

Yoichi watched as paramedics came in with Hibari by their side. The prefect stared impassively at the pens stuck in Nishimura-sensei's sides. They finally carried her out of the classroom, Tsuna and Nezu-sensei following behind.

"Yeah," Yoichi said. "It was…"

This wasn't a dream.

* * *

When Reborn first stepped onto Namimori, he was a bit underwhelmed. The town was very average. There was nothing remarkable about the place, though it had nice supermarket deals on Third Street. He had memorized every street, building, and alleyway prior to coming here and was only slightly disappointed when they were exactly where he thought they'd be. There was nothing exciting or surprising about Namimori. Its only redeeming quality was that it had given birth to a genius surgeon.

Satou Tsunayoshi, performing surgeries since he was fourteen and currently thriving in the medical field, a genius that even Reborn could come to respect—and he was only twenty years old. He had lived in Germany for a few years before coming back to Namimori and was currently staying with his mother, Satou Nana, a pediatric nurse in Namimori University Hospital. His father, Satou Koji, had been a police officer in the Tokyo Police Department before getting killed on duty one night. After several incidents in school and haunted by Koji's death, the mother and son moved to Namimori, which proved to be a wise decision. Tsunayoshi thrived here.

Of course, seeing the young man in the flesh was quite the experience. When Tsunayoshi performed an emergency procedure in Yoichi's classroom, Reborn was impressed at how precise and accurate Tsunayoshi's hands were. Though the hitman's medical knowledge was not extensive, he knew enough that the brunet must have an incredible dynamic memory of the human anatomy. If the pens were placed even a centimeter off, the woman would have been dead and everything would have been pointless. While the pens were not sufficient for an acceptable patent airway, Tsunayoshi was able to buy her some time before the paramedics arrived just in time.

 _He does live up to his reputation,_ Reborn thought, following the ambulance to the hospital. _He could be beneficial._

Maybe prevent the Sawada twins from dying after he tells them about the mafia—not that he was counting on it.

After making sure that Yoichi's teacher was cared for, Tsunayoshi walked to the front desk of the hospital and chatted briefly with the nurse on duty.

"Excuse me," the brunet said. "I was wondering I could visit Endo Seiji. He's a patient here."

"Ah, of course." The nurse typed into her computer before smiling politely. "He's on the second floor, room 211-A. Here is your visitor's pass. Show it to the administrator on that floor and they'll let you in."

"Thank you."

Reborn silently followed him while taking in his surroundings. Though Namimori wasn't a big town, there were quite a lot of patients, mostly the elderly. The hospital was a wide, five-story building with several professors, residents, and interns. It had a prestigious reputation in the town but only an average standing in Japan. University hospitals were more favorable than local ones as they housed the best doctors in the country and conducted most of the medical research; however, they were popular in large cities like Tokyo rather than in a town like Namimori.

The hitman kept his presence to a minimum as he followed Tsuna into a room. A frail elderly man was on the bed, blinking slowly in surprise when he saw the brunet.

"T—Tsuna?" he said. His voice was hoarse and raspy.

Reborn guessed lung cancer.

Tsunayoshi smiled softly. "Hello, Endo-sensei. I'm here."

Endo Seiji, one of the leading cardiothoracic surgeons in the country. He had taken Tsunayoshi under his wing, pouring most of his efforts in helping his pupil flourish and not letting any of his talents go to waste. A Spartan teacher himself, Endo told Tsunayoshi where to go, who to study under, and what to learn. America, Italy, Germany, Russia—his student went without a single complaint. Endo was masterful in his teachings and Satou Tsunayoshi, the genius surgeon from Namimori, was his result.

The older man made a sound that seemed like a scoff. "Brat, you're supposed to be in Germany."

"I came here to see you." Tsunayoshi almost pouted. "Aren't you happy to see your favorite student?"

"Not here. Not when I'm like this."

Tsunayoshi reached out to grasp Endo's feeble hand. "It's okay, sensei. I'm more upset that you didn't tell me."

Endo, clearly uncomfortable with the affection, rolled his eyes. "Your studies won't stop when I drop dead, you brat. You better go back. I don't want Gunther all over my ass."

Instead of denying the ugly truth, Tsunayoshi just smiled, not losing the soft edges in his eyes. "Gunther is fine with it. Ema told me he approved of me leaving and wished you the best of luck."

Endo sighed. "That idiot." He looked at Tsunayoshi with tired eyes. "Gunther is good to you, right?"

Tsunayoshi nodded. "Yeah, he is. I would've told you if he wasn't."

"Good. Now get out of my sight. I'm tired."

Tsunayoshi chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I'll come back tomorrow, sensei."

"Don't come. Go back to Germany."

"See you tomorrow, sensei!"

He left before the old man could even protest.

Reborn followed suit. Though he would have liked to observe Tsunayoshi more, he had to scout other potential guardians and keep an eye on the Sawada twins. Though Iemitsu had favored the older twin, Shinzo, Reborn was indifferent to favoritism and did not leave Yoichi out of the equation. He would have to—

"You know, it's not polite to eavesdrop."

Reborn paused. He looked up to see brown eyes directed at _him_. Impossible—not even Yoichi could sense his presence with his premature intuition. A _civilian_ could sense him. Instantly, Reborn's Sun flames reached out, twisted and turned, and disappointingly, found nothing. This boy was flameless. Not a single flicker. No, it was more like a heavy door that was preventing Reborn from going any further. Leon licked his finger as he tipped his fedora. How…interesting.

He finally stepped out of the shadows, his posture betraying nothing. "Ciaossu. My name is Reborn."

He didn't know if he should be amused or wary when Tsunayoshi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Not another one…"

* * *

 **A/N Ahh, you lovely peeps! Thank you for supporting this story! I'm so glad that you enjoy it! I know I may be updating quite frequently but that won't be a normal occurrence later (ah, the college life). I'm just excited to write this story and share it with you all~**

 **Also… don't perform that procedure at home, peeps! I might have stretched the realism there but I couldn't help it. It might not have been the best way to show Tsuna's skills (and I don't think things through a lot) but a little suspension of belief would be great (ah, the power of fiction!). Don't worry—there will be more legitimate procedures later (and hospital politics; because yay politics).**

 **And, so, I couldn't resist with the twin trope. My bad, peeps. I'm trying to put my own twist on it and think that it'll work with the story (if it doesn't, welp—I tried). I mean, fighting and ring battles and guardians! Shouldn't leave that out, eh? (/)ll**

 **Reborn was also introduced earlier than expected. It worked out so I'm okay with it.**

 **Guest Review Responses:**

 **Guest: Well, yes. Because Tsuna is not related to Iemitsu, he shouldn't look like Primo. But it's also kind of hard not to imagine him with his fluffy hair and such, hehe. Here, he looks more like Nana, if that helps. I hope the story's cover picture of Tsuna isn't** _ **too**_ **alike to Primo. His hair** _ **is**_ **shorter in that picture. Kind of. Sort of.**

 **Guest97: I haven't really thought about pairings yet. Who knows? Maybe I'll set up a poll later or pull a quick one on ya. For now, I want to focus on developing the foundation of Tsuna's relationships with the canon (and non-canon) characters (I may have cackled at all your reactions to Nezu's change). I'll let you peeps know when the Bachelor starts, hehe. No worries~**

 **Anyways, leave a thought or two if you can! See you in the next chapter, peeps!**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	4. Chapter 3

" _It's in these moments of tender and ridiculous nostalgia that I know something inside me is still broken."_ – Steve Almond

* * *

 _Sapore di Casa_ was a charming café run by a genuine Italian couple. A small bell tinkled their arrival as Reborn silently followed Tsunayoshi, briefly assessing his new surroundings. The walls were painted a warm yellow color and there were several handcrafted designs of colorful butterflies and flowers. There were expensive, high-quality equipment near the counter and a handwritten chalkboard menu above it. Small, circular tables were evenly spaced apart with two chairs each; there were two larger tables near the back. The customers mostly consisted of university students, who were typing rapidly on their laptops. An elderly couple sat near the windows, smiling lovingly at each other.

"Welcome to—Tsuna!" A slender woman nearly leaped over the counter with a blinding grin. She was clearly Italian, probably from southern Italy, with long black hair, tanned skin, and high cheekbones.

Tsunayoshi smiled and kissed both her cheeks in greeting. "Ciao, Sofia."

"Oh, Tsuna, I thought you were in America!" Sofia said, shifting to Italian.

"I just came back yesterday from Germany actually," Tsunayoshi responded, the language smooth on his tongue. "I have some business to tend to here. How are you doing?"

"Wonderful! Oh, Marcello is out getting delivery orders. Will you be staying? I'm sure he'd love to see you."

"I can't promise anything but I'll try! While I'm here, can I get an espresso? The usual." He glanced at Reborn, tilting his head in question.

"Espresso," was Reborn's curt response.

"Make that two, Sofia."

Sofia furrowed her brows, oblivious to the baby hitman's presence. "Two? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson. Too much coffee is bad for you, Tsuna."

Tsunayoshi chuckled. "When has that ever stopped me? I'll be over there."

The Italian woman just shook her head in fond exasperation before walking off to make the orders. Tsunayoshi turned to Reborn and gestured to a table with his head. The hitman followed him to a more secluded area and promptly sat on the table across from him. He observed the young surgeon, who maintained a steady, calm composure.

Reborn was curious as to why the brunet invited him outside for a quick chat, but he mostly knew what the talk was going to be about. The other had obviously met another Arcobaleno when he mentioned "another one" and Reborn was too interested to turn down the offer. Besides, this was also a good way to get close to him and obtain as much intel as he could about the young man. A win-win for him.

"I can guarantee that the coffee here's really good," Tsuna said. "I come here if I'm in Namimori when I get the chance." A fond, wistful look glazed over his eyes. "It reminds me of Italy."

Reborn immediately categorized any information Tsunayoshi spewed from his mouth. After all, the one who held all the information had the upper hand. "You went to Italy first for your studies."

"Yeah, I stayed in Milan and Venice for two years." The brunet leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "And you…?"

"I was born in Italy."

"Oh, that's nice. Is this your first time in Namimori?"

"Yes."

Tsunayoshi smiled politely. "I hope you enjoy your stay here. It's not big and grand like Tokyo or Kyoto but it has its quirks."

Sofia finally walked over with a bright smile and set down two steaming cups of espresso on the table. Reborn relaxed slightly at the rich, familiar aroma. Damn, they were authentic too. Before the woman could react, he took a small sip, relishing in the strong, creamy liquid. Not bad.

Sofia looked horrified, finally noticing Tsunayoshi's company. "Tsuna, the baby—why are you letting him drink _that_?"

"I like espresso," Reborn answered promptly. " _Questo_ _un caffé_ _é molto buono. Grazie._ "

Sofia gaped at the baby hitman, blushing faintly, before turning to Tsunayoshi, who was also enjoying his drink. "Tsuna—"

"It's not my fault, Sofia. Besides, he likes it."

Sofia sighed then left to tend to another customer. Reborn glanced at Tsunayoshi, noting that the brunet looked more amused than wary.

"It must be difficult," the young surgeon said, gesturing at Reborn, "with that body. I can only imagine the reactions you'd get."

The hitman sipped his drink again, betraying nothing in his collected posture. "Why is that a concern to you?"

"Just offering some sympathy."

"I don't need any sympathy. I've been used to this body for a while now."

Tsunayoshi hummed to himself. "I'm sorry if I imposed on you. This is still a bizarre thing for me." He glanced at his Sun Arcobaleno Pacifier. "The other one had something similar."

Reborn stayed composed on the table but his mind instantly ran through the possibilities, trying to pinpoint the "other one". Colonello was out—he was too occupied training mafioso in Mafia Land and Tsunayoshi would have no reason, knowledge, or access to the mafia-only resort. Fon lived in China and Asia wasn't anywhere in Tsunayoshi's itinerary. Lal Mirch could be a possibility but Vongola's main headquarters were in Rome, a considerable distance from the more northern Milan and Venice. Skull wasn't even worth mentioning.

That left two choices: Viper and Verde. None of the Arcobaleno were even sure if Viper was still alive after they were cursed, but Reborn couldn't discount him. Viper was powerful and Reborn knew in his guts that the greedy bastard was still alive—it just irked him that he didn't know his specific whereabouts or condition. Verde was sneaky but predictable if you knew him well. His secret lab was located underneath Anchiano, a small village located in Tuscany, Italy, and the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Since the other was dubbed "Da Vinci's Reincarnation", it wasn't a surprise that he found refuge and comfort in the Renaissance Man's hometown.

Reborn took another sip to organize his thoughts. Tsunayoshi was quiet, simply enjoying his drink and the surprisingly comfortable silence between them. The hitman glanced at the brunet, noting his relaxed posture; his eyes, however, were sharp and he didn't shy away when they made eye-contact. Tsunayoshi smiled at him but it was warier, more careful.

"So, you've met Verde," Reborn said finally.

He felt a bit smug to see surprise flicker in the other's eyes. He _was_ the best hitman in the world after all. Having the upper hand on everyone was a specialty of his and it was second to none. So, the fact that he could throw the other off guard almost made him smirk. This was almost exciting to the hitman. Tsunayoshi was a rather fascinating subject. He didn't even blame Verde for taking interest in the other at this point—there was something about the brunet that inevitably pulled him in and Reborn was determined to find out why and what.

"You're terrifying," Tsunayoshi said blandly.

Reborn tipped his fedora in response. "I'm Reborn, the greatest hitman in the world."

Tsunayoshi stared at him. A clear "are you fucking with me?" was written all over his face. He sighed, then pinched the bridge of his nose, a frequent habit Reborn noted. "It sounds even more ridiculous coming from you."

Reborn was tempted to hit his head with his trusty Leon-shifted hammer, but restrained himself. There was no point in drawing attention to themselves or causing petty violence. Despite his sadistic tendencies, Reborn had some tact, thank you very much. He was more disturbed at his reluctance to hit the brunet than anything else. One day, he thought, he'll get him. Now wasn't the time. He still needed more information.

Tsunayoshi sipped some more of his espresso. "Aren't you going to do anything? I kind of insulted you there."

"You think very little of me, Tsunayoshi."

"I don't really know you, but I'm pretty sure you wanted to hurt me or thought of it for a second there."

Reborn almost raised a brow. Did the brunet read _through_ him? The greatest hitman in the world? No, that wasn't possible. It couldn't be. He was the most guarded and secretive person out there. Not even Viper could get a good read of him. Lal Mirch didn't even bother; he would just recite her own thoughts to her face, not even giving her a chance before she left him with a huff. Everyone was an open book to him. Tsunayoshi was no different, but the more he exposed a bit of himself, the more Reborn wanted to know what was going on his head. He was…interesting. Very interesting.

The baby almost smiled. Was Tsunayoshi possibly the challenge he needed in his tedious life? If so, he would be delighted to rip him apart until there was nothing else the brunet had to hide. Reborn was nothing more than ambitious and he always got what he wanted. Maybe coming to Namimori wasn't a bad thing after all. Sure, he owed Nono some favors and training the future Decimo-to-be was hardly a difficult task—but the fact that he would meet such a curious individual was luck on his part. Fate probably turned into his favor for once.

Tsunayoshi then shrugged. "I just have that effect on most people." He smiled thinly. "Emotions run high in the operating room. There's no time for any trivialities or mistakes. I may be a genius but my place is always at the bottom. Either that or I'm an outlier. I've lost count on how many times someone threw a scalpel at me." He looked down at his hands, which were slender and long, before his lips turned into an almost cheeky grin. "To cut a long story short, I just have a terrible attitude for someone who's learning how to save people's lives."

Reborn didn't say anything. In a sense, Tsunayoshi disclosed some part of his heart to the hitman but there were still so many anomalies that Reborn couldn't stop thinking about. Though vaguely he could imagine him being a pain in the ass as a student.

"Sentiments aside," Tsunayoshi said, "I didn't invite you for pleasantries. I wanted to ask you something. Why are you here in Namimori?"

"There is no point in giving you information as to why I'm here," Reborn said coolly. "It has nothing to do with you."

"You followed me all the way to the hospital. I'm sure that accounts for some interest on your part. Also, I highly doubt you came to check up on Nishimura-san."

Again, the fact that the brunet had sensed him was a bit alarming (and highly intriguing). A civilian pinpointing Reborn's presence? Colonello would have a field day. The hitman was known for his uncanny stealth in the underworld. Either Tsunayoshi was just lucky or he was more perceptive than Reborn gave him credit for. The hitman settled with the latter.

"Yes, I followed you to the hospital," Reborn admitted bluntly. "I wanted to gather intel on you."

Tsunayoshi narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

The hitman pondered on telling him or not but decided to just go with it. He figured it would be more stressful for Tsunayoshi to know it much later than now. "I am here to train the future Decimo for the Vongola Famiglia."

Tsunayoshi blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say Vongola? As in the mafia Vongola?"

"Yes."

"And you're here to train a future heir?"

"Yes."

"In Namimori?"

Reborn restrained a sigh. "Yes."

"You were there," Tsunayoshi suddenly said, "in the classroom. Kami, the heir is a _middle-schooler_. Does the current don not have any _older_ children?"

It was surprising how the brunet could piece the bigger picture together with such little information. Reborn could understand how Verde took an interest in him. The Lightening Arcobaleno met someone who could follow his pace for once.

"The eldest was shot and killed. Another only left bones behind. The youngest was drowned. He has an adopted son but he is currently incapacitated after attempting a coup d'état."

Tsunayoshi shook his head in disbelief. "So, you're training a _kid_ to become the next heir to a mafia family? What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"For Vongola to continue to prosper, a boss need to ensure order and stability. Without one, Vongola will crumble."

"But it's still a kid!"

"That is why I'm here. To train and shape the candidate to be the next Decimo."

Tsunayoshi sat there in stunned silence before pursing his lips. "The fact that the don chose a kid is despicable. In fact, I'm all for the Vongola to destroy itself."

"You are a civilian. You have no right to judge what the mafia can or can't do."

"The mafia is involved in everything that is detrimental to society as far as I know. I think as a member of society, I _do_ have the right to judge them. We don't need the mafia."

"Vongola is different. There are other famiglias who also do good and protect the people. The mafia is not appealing in nature but it's a necessary evil."

"Why do you think we have the police? Social workers? Government officials?"

"They aren't enough."

Tsunayoshi raised a brow. "What right does the mafia—or you—have to decide what is or isn't enough? Did you ever think that maybe some things happened _because_ the mafia existed in the first place? That some idiot down the line decided to integrate his own self-serving needs into the group's objective? I don't know."

Vongola Secondo instantly came into mind. He had drastically changed Vongola when he came into power, immediately establishing himself as a powerful and fearful figure. Under and after his rule, Vongola became more powerful than any other famiglia, ascertaining a terrifying reputation in the underworld. Thinking about it, its history suddenly became bloodier in Reborn's eyes.

Tsunayoshi's words somehow made sense.

Reborn abruptly felt marginally frustrated. He was only a hitman. He didn't belong to a famiglia. However, that didn't make him ignorant to mafia history. There was no need for him to think too much about what a certain famiglia did and how another reacted or what the repercussions were for civilians. He simply took a job and get paid.

Training the Sawada twins to be suitable Decimo candidates was only a job. There was nothing else in it for him other than him returning a favor to Nono. His conflicting thoughts continued to irritate him even more. Before he could say anything, a sudden buzz reverberated on the table. Tsunayoshi cursed under his breath and took out his phone, quickly scanning the message. His eyes slightly softened before he looked at Reborn.

"I have to go." He glanced at their espressos. "Don't worry. I paid for your's." As he stood up, he looked directly into Reborn's black eyes. "I can kind of guess why you followed me. Whatever it is, no. And I preferably want to never see you again. If you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving first."

Reborn followed the brunet's back as he said a quick goodbye to Sofia and left. Tsunayoshi turned the corner, never looking back once.

Leon crawled onto Reborn's shoulder, licking his cheek comfortingly as if sensing his master's inner conflict. The hitman just petted the small chameleon to soothe his own nerves.

"Um, excuse me." Sofia looked at Reborn with questioning eyes. "I apologize if Tsuna left like that. He can be erratic sometimes but he's actually a really nice boy."

Sawada Junko had said the same thing about Yoichi, Reborn thought vaguely.

"Do you need help or anything? Tsuna didn't tell me if your parents are waiting for you."

Reborn restrained a sigh, despite being used to the treatment. "I'm fine."

He hopped off the table and walked out of the café, ignoring Sofia's protests. He had to scout potential guardians after all. There would be time to think later.

* * *

After the incident with Nishimura-sensei, Namimori Middle buzzed with more than the occasional gossip. Shinzo just smiled politely and nodded his head whenever someone offered their sympathies for his teacher. Really, the attention was getting to annoy him by the time school ended but he took it all in stride. It wasn't as if _he_ was the one who collapsed. There was nothing for them to be sorry about; if anything, they should express their sympathies to Nishimura-sensei herself.

He still heard the whispers in the locker room as he changed out of his baseball uniform.

"I heard some doctor helped Nishimura-sensei. Some people are saying he used to be Nezu-sensei's student or something."

"Oh, right! I heard that too. I think they met before homeroom. Suki-chan said she saw them in the teachers' lounge this morning."

"What was his name again? I think I've seen him before."

"Sa—Sa-something? I'm not sure, but I heard he's crazy! He stabbed a freakin' pen in Nishimura-sensei!"

"Holy shit, yeah. That was _insane_! Mochida-senpai told me he saw everything. There was blood everywhere!"

"Guys," Shinzo said, grabbing his bag, "Coach Yasui wants us out by five."

Shouts and hurried apologies filled the damp air as the remaining team members quickly changed and filed out of the room, waving sheepishly at their captain. Shinzo restrained the urge to roll his eyes before closing and locking the room.

"Yo, Shinzo," Takeshi said with an easy grin. "Catch?"

The other shrugged, leading the way to an empty field. "Yeah, let's go."

It was routine for them to linger around after practice and throw a baseball around until it got too dark. The baseball team's captain and ace were nearly inseparable since they've met in kindergarten. Shinzo had been awed by the other's height, calling him a giant when they first met and immediately asked to be friends. Takeshi just laughed and accepted like the good person he was. They even aimed for the same high school after they graduate.

Shinzo smiled as he slipped his glove on his left hand, the leather comfortable and worn against his skin. Takeshi tossed a baseball in the air a couple of times before nonchalantly throwing it at Shinzo's direction. The other easily caught it and threw it back.

They continued to exchange a couple of throws for a while, just enjoying the companionable silence between them. A cool autumn breeze swept through the field as other students' laughter rang in the air. A bell rang faintly in the school halls, signaling that it was 5 P.M. Shinzo enjoyed moments like this. It allowed him to relax and to think of nothing but catching the baseball. No School Council work, no grades, no matches. Just him, Takeshi, and the baseball.

Sure, baseball was fun and he was good at it, but he didn't think he'd choose it as a future career. It was more like a hobby. He'd probably stick with it in high school so he'd have another nice thing to write down for college. Honestly, Takeshi was more of a baseball nut than he was. In the first grade, he'd drag Shinzo to empty fields and ask him to throw while he swung the bat. Shinzo easily indulged him. If it made his friend happy, he was cool with it.

"That was pretty scary," Takeshi suddenly said, catching the ball. "I hope Nishimura-sensei is okay."

Shinzo hummed to himself, grunting slightly from a rather hard throw. Takeshi just laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"My bad, my bad."

Shinzo just rolled his eyes and tossed it back, smirking when Takeshi grunted. "Right back at ya. And don't worry. She'll be fine."

Takeshi just grinned. Really, his friend was just…so _happy_. Sometimes it pissed Shinzo off at how oblivious his friend could be. At the same time, he would say things that belonged on fortune cookies.

Takeshi's face from earlier this morning briefly flashed in Shinzo's mind. How his eyes narrowed and lips pursed when Nishimura-sensei collapsed. How easily he listened to Satou-san without breaking a sweat. Takeshi was rarely ever serious. When he was, Shinzo still had to get used to how intimidating he looked, wondering if his friend knew the effect he had. It was always the happiest people who could be the scariest. They were unpredictable and Shinzo was glad to have Takeshi as a friend rather than an enemy. He sometimes shivered thinking about the alternative. Yeah, Takeshi would be good as a friend.

"We should visit her," Takeshi said. "Maybe give her a get-well card."

"We can. I think Emiko-san is already making a card for her."

"Oh, that's good. How about your brother?"

Shinzo almost snorted. "Sure, he'd sign his name." He snickered. "He kind of has a crush on Nishimura-sensei."

"Wow, I didn't know that. I thought him and Emiko were a thing."

Shinzo rolled his eyes. "Other than Nishimura-sensei, Yo-chan is pretty much asexual. All he thinks about is work, work, work. How do you think our debate team is best in the district?"

Takeshi laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Yoichi's cool."

"Well, of course. He's my little brother. The Sawada family doesn't accept losers."

There was no heat behind Shinzo's words, just fondness and pride. Of course, who _wouldn't_ be proud of his little brother? He might not know it, but Yo-chan had a fan club himself. He was just too focused in his own little world to even notice. It was also hilarious to know that Emiko was the leader and she was the closest girl Yo-chan had ever been with. That was convenient for her, who relayed any news about his activities and whereabouts to the other members. For a smart kid, Yo-chan was stupid with social cues.

"Yeah," Shinzo said softly, "Yo-chan's cool."

"Oh, right," Takeshi said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "That doctor. I don't remember his name but he was with Nezu-sensei, I think." He wiped his forehead with his arm. "He looked really young, too. But what he did was really cool! He helped Nishimura-sensei with a pen!"

Satou Tsunayoshi. His name was a blessing in Namimori. Shinzo never missed how the elderly chattered about him in the streets when he was younger. A genius through and through, a Namimori resident, only fourteen when he performed his first surgery in Italy, student to one of the leading cardiothoracic surgeons in Japan—to Shinzo, he was practically a god. He basically worshipped Satou-san, tracking everything he did abroad and reading all the surgeries he operated in, both the good and the bad. To see him up close and personal this morning… Shinzo thought he was dreaming. He didn't even care if he gave the brunet his favorite pen to stab his teacher with. Just… he was _Satou-san_.

"Satou," he said in dazed awe. "His name's Satou Tsunayoshi."

Takeshi pondered on the name for a few second before his eyes brightened up in recognition. "Oh, that doctor you always talked about." He grinned. "Wow, and he was in our school today too! That's so cool, Shinzo. You got to see your god!"

Shinzo nearly choked on his spit. "What—What the hell, Takeshi?"

Takeshi continued to grin. "That's what you told me, Shinzo."

"Kami…" Shinzo regretted every fanboying over Satou-san in front of Takeshi.

"Maybe we can see him when we visit Nishimura-sensei tomorrow."

Okay, _that_ sounded cool. Better than cool—that'd be _awesome_. Shinzo just cleared his throat and tried to look indifferent. "Yeah, sure."

"I can leave you two alone if you want."

Shinzo just threw the baseball near Takeshi's crotch. He grinned when the other groaned in pain. "You were saying?"

* * *

After waving goodbye to Takeshi, Shinzo opened the gate to his house and yawned. Kami, maybe he should lay back with the after-practice stuff with Takeshi. The amount of work a middle-schooler got should be _illegal_ —and he didn't even attend an academy (thank Kami for his mother's brains).

He walked towards the door, stretching his arms in the air. After a shower, he'd eat and should probably start on his history paper. It was due in a week but he didn't have time to push it to the side for later. There was also an upcoming match with Kokuyo Junior High, their ultimate rival school, next week. It was the second game for Namimori but a first for Kokuyo so he didn't have anything to analyze about their performance for this year. He _did_ hear that their ace graduated last year so that was useful he guessed.

"Kaa-san, I'm h—"

Shinzo paused. What…?

"—scinating that the variables here should be used like that. I didn't think of that! What about—Oh, Shinzo-kun!" His mother finally realized his presence and smiled from the sofa. "Welcome home! Dinner will be ready in a few so go wash up. How was practice?"

"It was good," Shinzo said, gazing warily at the strange scene. Was his mother talking to a _baby_ about whatever research she was working on?

Junko positively grinned. He hadn't seen his mother this overjoyed since she got an offer to be a mathematics professor at Namimori University. Well, it was nice to see his mother so happy ever since their father was rarely in the picture but… Even the cool and calm Shinzo couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she was talking to a baby of all people. And was that a fedora?

"Oh, where are my manners? Shinzo-kun, this is Reborn. Did you know that he also goes by Borin, the mathematician from Italy I've always talked about? This is him!" She was practically squealing at this point.

Of course, Shinzo remembered his mother raving on and on about some Italian guy solving some of the world's most difficult mathematical equations. He always listened to whatever she said, even though he didn't understand most of the things that came out of her mouth. Yo-chan wasn't really interested or had the patience to listen to their mother rant about "Borin" so Shinzo would be the only one paying attention to indulge her.

So the fact that…"Borin" was sitting in their living room—seriously, he was a _baby_ in an all-black suit; how was that not suspicious?—was just odd. No offense to his mother, but would some genius mathematician just waltz into their home to _live_ with them of all things? In Namimori of all places?

 _Today must be a very long dream,_ Shinzo thought.

He met Reborn's black eyes and almost shivered. They were too intense for a baby. And holy shit, Shinzo still could not get over the fact that he was wearing a fedora. Also, was that a chameleon?

"That's great, Kaa-san," he finally said with a quick smile. "But why is he here?"

Before his mother could speak, Reborn spoke. Kami, even his _voice_ was squeaky. "Ciaossu, my name is Reborn. From now on I'll be tutoring you and your brother."

Shinzo couldn't stop himself. "…eh?"

* * *

 **A/N Thank you so much for putting this story in your favorite/alert list! Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, hehe. (/)**

 **And wow, most of you peeps guessed the mystery Arcobaleno correctly. It was probably too easy but I'm also very happy! You peeps are so smart~**

 **Translations:**

 _ **Sapore di Casa**_ **: Taste of Home**

 _ **Questo**_ _ **un caffé**_ _ **é molto buono. Grazie:**_ **This espresso is very good. Thank you.**

 **This chapter took a while to write honestly (and probably the longest so far). I mostly struggled with the conversation between Tsuna and Reborn because I kept worrying if I kept their characters' consistent or not. Reborn was particularly hard so I hope I distinguished his character enough for you guys! Let me know what you think about him too!**

 **And more exposure to the OC twins! This time with Shinzo. I'm curious as to how you guys think of him. Drop a thought or two if you can! I'll see you all in the next chapter~**

 **Have a lovely day, peeps!**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	5. Chapter 4

" _Be the person you needed when you were younger."_ – Ayesha A. Siddiqi

* * *

Namimori International Airport was located near Kokuyo district. Surprisingly, there were many passengers getting on and off the planes since Namimori provided a cheaper route to Kyoto and Osaka. Those who knew were mostly just very avid tourists or businessmen. No matter how anyone looked at it, Namimori was rather unremarkable. Still, it managed to wedge a place in the residents' hearts.

Tsuna sat in one of the waiting areas and nonchalantly browsed through his phone. He clicked on any news articles that interested him and scrolled past anything that he didn't care about. Nothing stuck in his head though, which only irked him further.

He had woken up in a terrible mood, the conversation with Reborn playing repeatedly in his head. No matter what, he couldn't forget the fact that the baby hitman was in Namimori to train a _middle-schooler_ in becoming the Vongola heir. It was still mind-boggling and he couldn't help but pity the boy.

After refreshing his feed for the umpteenth time, Tsuna sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes. He lamented coming back to Namimori now. Other than his teacher dying and wanting to see his mother again, Tsuna had nothing else here. Namimori was special to him, yeah, but it wasn't enough for him to stay indefinitely. He belonged in a world where he had some ounce of control in his life (Nana was quite proud to learn how her precious son could be very domineering sometimes—genetics rule). He belonged out there, where there was still more to learn, more to _see_. He had considered asking Endo-sensei if he had some connections in China, but he didn't bother bringing it up.

Tsuna rubbed his eyes. Kami, he should've slept earlier, preferably _before_ four in the morning. Digging up some information on the mafia was harder than it seemed. Really, the only things that popped up was Vongola here and there and maybe an obscure famiglia or two caught in a small drug scandal; nothing big or outrageous like human trafficking or experimentation (not that he condoned those). He had to hand it to them though—they should pay their PR Department double or something.

Still, a kid. Tsuna might have a soft spot for the little devils, but he couldn't relax knowing the fact that a middle-schooler would take the mantle of the largest mafia in Italy, possibly the world. He had his sneaking suspicions on why the hitman tailed him back to the hospital yesterday. If he wanted to rope him in that mess, he wouldn't take any part of it. Tokyo and his father's death briefly came to mind before he shook them away. There was nothing left to mourn, he thought. There was only going forward.

He nearly jumped out of his seat when a hand rested on his shoulder. "Kami, shit! Who—"

Ema stood behind him, looking mildly unimpressed. Her short dirty blond hair was tied back into a small ponytail and her tall height drew some bewildered stares. "Tsuna, are you alright?"

Her Japanese was slightly accented but it wasn't as awkward as when she first started learning it. Tsuna internally winced, remembering how much worse he was in German. Still, he appreciated his best friend for taking the time to learn his language while teaching him hers.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tsuna said too quickly. "I didn't notice you there, Ema."

The older woman, bless her, just shrugged. "I just came out." She gave the airport a cursory glance, not losing her stony expression. "It is much smaller than I imagined."

Tsuna laughed. "Wait 'till you see Namimori." He smiled gently. "Thank you, Ema. For coming."

Ema just ruffled his hair, messing it up even more, and smiled slightly at his scowl. "It's alright, _Mäuschen_."

The brunet instantly looked indignant. "I'm not a _kid_ , Ema. I'm twenty-years-old. My birthday's in two weeks!"

"Yes, and pigs fly," Ema deadpanned.

"You're not even that much older than me!"

"Five years is enough."

"You're supposed to be my friend."

"I'm your only friend."

"Why are you here again?"

"To make sure you don't do anything stupid."

Reborn's insufferable face popped up in Tsuna's head and he couldn't help but groan. Ema pursed her lips as if she expected it.

"What did you do?"

The brunet pinched the bridge of his nose. "I may or may not have told a hitman to fuck off yesterday."

Ema quirked a brow. "A hitman?"

"Well, a baby hitman. But still a hitman."

"A baby?"

"Like Verde but more terrifying."

Ema hummed to herself, organizing the new information quietly. Tsuna had told her everything before and he really meant _everything_ ; she could blackmail him anytime she wanted to and Tsuna vaguely noted that she and Reborn should not meet. Ema was the first person he'd genuinely befriended ever since he was thrust into the highly competitive and ambitious field. He sometimes wondered how he hadn't met her before traveling to Germany, but was just glad to even meet her at all. She was his confidante, his assistant, and his best friend. Without her, Tsuna might have given up halfway through his studies. Endo-sensei's wrath be damned.

"Why is he here?" Ema said, finally sitting down next to him. She rolled her large green suitcase closer to her legs. "He must have a reason. Namimori is an odd location."

Tsuna slightly grimaced. "He's here to train the next heir for the Vongola famiglia. Did I mention that he's fourteen?"

"A child?"

"I said the same thing."

Ema shook her head. "And he must've had some ulterior motive to talk to you. For once, I agree with you telling him off. I think it's best for you to stay out of this one, _Mäuschen_."

Tsuna grumbled under his breath, sinking lower in his seat. "Still, I can't help but think about the poor kid."

"Vongola is something you shouldn't mess with, Tsuna."

"I know that. Just… Ugh, why can't I just leave it alone? I can't stop thinking about that kid. It's driving me crazy."

Ema smiled gently, patting his shoulder. "That's what make you _you_ , Tsuna. There's nothing to be ashamed about."

Tsuna sighed. Ema just knew what to say at the right time. Kami bless her. He stood up, stretching his arms in the air. "Anyways, we should get going. You can stay over at my place. Mama would throw a fit if I told her you were in a hotel."

"Does your mother know I'm here?"

Oh, he forgot about that. "Um, she will in a minute?"

"Tsuna, I couldn't—"

Tsuna waved her off. "It's all good, Ema, really. Hospitalities and all. Besides"—his face wavered a bit—"I have a feeling we won't be staying long."

Ema's face softened as she stood, easily towering over Tsuna's 168 centimeters. "How is he?"

"He…doesn't have long. Surgery isn't an option."

"You can't save everyone, Tsuna."

Her words were gentle, but still hurt. Of course, he couldn't save everyone. Lavina's soft face briefly flashed in his mind. He accepted that a long time ago…

"I know," he said quietly.

Ema squeezed his shoulder comfortingly and started to guide him out of the airport. "It'll be okay, Tsuna. I'm here for you."

Tsuna smiled. "Thank you, Ema."

"Of course, _Mäuschen_."

"Can't you think of something else?"

"But you're like a _Mäuschen_. Small and adorable."

"I hate you."

"Duly noted."

"I need coffee…"

* * *

A harsh cough racked through his frail body. Pain spiked up in Endo's chest, his coughing fit slowly subsiding in a few minutes. Being seventy-two was a joy, he thought bitterly, gazing listlessly out the window. Another day, which meant more prolonged suffering. Honestly, he wished he could just drop dead and get it over with. There was nothing he could do.

He knew he had lung cancer. Damn the doctors who tried to convince him otherwise. He wasn't stupid—he was Endo Seiji, one of the leading cardiothoracic surgeons in Japan, thank you very much. Keeping him in the dark was just undermining his intelligence.

That was one of the illnesses in the Japanese healthcare system. They did what they wanted and treated patients like they were beneath them. Patients rarely defied their doctors. They followed their orders like obedient dogs. Of course, not all doctors were like that but it was hard not to succumb to the system. That was why Endo sent Tsuna abroad. He would not stand for his student becoming a victim to the corrupt system.

He closed his eyes, wondering how much longer it would take until he died. Death was becoming a more common thought nowadays, he thought wearily.

"Endo-sensei," a gentle voice said, "how are you today?"

The elderly man restrained a sigh. "What do you want, Shigeru?" He couldn't hold back a wince. Just opening his mouth was taxing to his deteriorating health.

Kurokawa Shigeru, the head professor of the Emergency Department and one of Endo's former students. He was a passionate man who could also be a dunce sometimes. That was why Endo seriously approved of his wife, Megumi, a cold-blooded and unrelenting prosecutor; and if Shigeru's stories were true, his daughter was another force to be reckoned with.

Shigeru smiled sadly. No matter how many times Endo had warned him, Shigeru always wore his heart on his sleeves. It was a weakness and would only stab him in the back in the future. Endo regarded his old student, noting his tired eyes and unshaven face. He still had so much to learn…but there was no time. There was never enough time.

"Don't you have patients?" Endo said. "Interns to teach?"

Shigeru nearly pouted. "Don't you want to see your favorite student?"

Endo rolled his eyes. Tsuna had said the same thing yesterday and that brat better be back in Berlin or else he'd strangle Gunther through the phone. But knowing the young man, he'd probably come visit today. Kami, why did he have idiots for students?

"Quiet, boy. I have no favorites. You're all idiots."

Shigeru laughed. "Yeah, yeah." Mirth shone in his brown eyes, which disturbed Endo greatly. "I heard from Hana that your student went to her school yesterday. He left quite the impression."

"What?"

"We had a patient rolled into the ER yesterday. Apparently, she's one of Hana's teachers. Her lungs collapsed and she nearly died if your student hadn't gotten involved." He grimaced. "I don't know why she didn't get admitted earlier. She was hours from dying. We found a fifteen-inch clot in her left leg and a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism around her lungs. She's recovering in the ICU but it'll take a few days until she can leave."

"What did he do?"

Shigeru winced. "His method…was crude. He stabbed a broken pen into both of her sides. Even though it was a rough procedure, it _worked_. His accuracy's amazing. He precisely punctured a hole in the thorax's wall to relieve the air pressure inside and helped the collapsed lungs to expand." He shook his head. "If it were anyone else, she would've died."

Endo smiled thinly. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"But a pen…"

"What was the first thing I taught you, Shigeru?"

"To do everything possible to save a patient's life."

"Tsuna did that."

Shigeru frowned but understood where his teacher was coming from. "Yes, he did." He looked at the machines hooked up to Endo's body. "He's here to see you, isn't he?"

"Brat should've stayed in Berlin."

Shigeru smiled. "I look forward to meeting him." He looked thoughtful before asking, "Is he planning on transferring to Namimori?"

"He's still a student."

Shigeru shrugged. "I was only curious. Honestly, I'm not in favor of him working here. The committee won't be happy to have another student of yours." He furrowed his brows. "They already have a replacement in mind for your position. Fujiwara Kuro."

The little shit from Takeda Hospital in Kyoto?

Endo mentally sighed. There was no point for him to think about the younger man or his position in the committee. He was dying anyway.

"I thought you'd put up more of fuss, sensei," Shigeru said, raising a brow. "You hate Fujiwara."

"I'm too tired to hate."

"But, sensei, you wanted to reform this hospital! To make it adapt a better system and procedures!"

"Quiet, brat. Someone can hear you." Endo paused, trying to calm his breathing to reduce the agonizing pressure in his chest. Kami, just kill him _now_. "What can a dying man do? I tried before, but I'm only one man. I was young like you, Shigeru. I thought this hospital could be better." He winced. "I was too late."

Shigeru looked at him sympathetically. "You're not alone, sensei."

Endo looked at him blankly. "What did you do, Shigeru? You're weak. Don't try to fool yourself."

Before Shigeru could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

"Endo-sensei, I—Oh." Tsuna stood at the doorway. "Sorry, is this a bad time?"

Shigeru quickly regained his composure and shook his head. "I was just about to leave."

His voice was a bit strained but Endo didn't pity him. The man had to grow a thicker skin sooner than later. Endo was a ruthless son of a bitch. His methods and teachings were questionable, but that didn't mean he didn't care about his students. It just took a lot more to even admit it.

Shigeru held out his hand with a smile. "You must be Satou Tsunayoshi. I've heard many great things about you."

Tsuna shook his hand firmly. "Pleasure. And you are…?"

"Kurokawa Shigeru. I'm the head professor of the Emergency Department. I was one of Endo-sensei's students back in Namimori University."

"Oh, do you know a patient there who came in yesterday? Nishimura-san."

Shigeru smiled. "She's recovering in the ICU and will be released in a few days. If it weren't for your…unconventional method, she would've died."

Tsuna nodded. "I'm glad. I was planning on visiting her later."

"I think she'd appreciate that. I apologize but I have to get going now. Duty calls. It was a pleasure meeting you, Satou-san. I hope to see you again."

"Tsuna's fine."

Shigeru smiled before taking off. Tsuna watched him leave then stepped aside to let someone in. A tall German woman walked through the door, bowing a bit in greeting.

"Endo-sensei, this is Ema Holst, my assistant nurse. I met her in Berlin."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Endo-san," Ema said in slightly accented Japanese. "Tsuna told me a lot about you."

Endo stared at the pair. It was strange but he had a feeling that Ema was good for Tsuna. "I approve, brat."

Tsuna flushed. "We're _not_ together. Why does everyone think that? Besides, she's older than me!"

"That's not what I meant, but congrats."

The brunet groaned. "You know, I regret coming back."

"Then go back to Berlin."

"Eh, maybe not that much."

Endo seriously thought his students were just a bunch of idiots, and he resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Such was the life of Endo Seiji, surrounded by dimwits until the end.

"Would you like anything?" Ema said, her calm voice breaking the brief silence. "Water?"

"At least she has sense."

Tsuna looked at him blankly before heading to the door. "I'll get it for you."

"Don't spit in it. I know you'll do it."

The brunet grinned. "Great minds think alike, sensei. Don't miss me too much."

After the brat left, Endo looked at Ema with weary eyes. "He doesn't trouble you, does he?"

Ema smiled faintly. "You don't know the half of it."

"That brat attracts trouble. Run while you can."

"He does, but I would never leave him."

Endo closed his eyes briefly, feeling oddly at peace with that. He'd never admit it out loud but his students…were everything to him. They were his idiots.

"Take care of him," he said softly.

"I'm glad to have met him. I wanted to thank you for being there for him from the beginning."

"Sometimes I regret it."

Ema smiled knowingly but didn't say anything. They stayed like that, in relative silence, until Tsuna came back a few minutes later.

Looking at his beaming student, Endo knew definitively that he had no regrets.

* * *

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Yoichi sprinted out of his classroom, almost falling down the stairs. His legs felt like jelly, his muscles were sore, and he felt like he'd collapse any second. Reborn was officially a demon spawn from hell. At this point, Yoichi _believed_ he was a hitman. His brother was no different—he was just as skeptical as he was—until Reborn shot them with rubber bullets and made them run ridiculous amounts of laps around Namimori. Yoichi had never thanked Kami so much for making Namimori so small. If it were Tokyo or Kyoto…

"Yo-kun, wait up!" Emiko shouted from a distance.

Yoichi paused by the gates and waited for the girl to catch up. She pouted, poking him in the shoulder. "Why did you run off like that? I barely caught up with you."

"My bad," Yoichi mumbled, looking around for any signs of the baby hitman. Not that he could anyway. The sneaky little bastard never made himself known unless he wanted to be.

"What are you looking for, Yo-kun?" Emiko glanced around, confused. "Are you looking for your brother?" She brightened. "Do you want him to come with us?"

"No!" Yoichi said a little too loudly. "Let's just go."

Emiko just shrugged. "Okay then."

They quickly caught a bus to Namimori University Hospital and bought some flowers along the way. Emiko carried an elaborately-decorated get-well card in her hands as carefully as possible. Being the two representatives of the debate team, they took it upon themselves to personally see Nishimura-sensei.

Yoichi crinkled his nose when the hospital's strong antiseptic smell hit him full force. It was an unpleasant scent and made his stomach churn. He found the front desk receptionist quickly, not paying too much attention at the patients and doctors walking around. Nishimura-sensei was his top priority.

"Excuse me," Yoichi said, catching the receptionist's attention. "Can you tell us where Nishimura Akane is, please? She's our teacher from school and was admitted here yesterday."

The receptionist smiled briefly. "Of course. Give me a few minutes." Her fingers flew across the keyboard in seconds. She momentarily read the information on her computer screen and frowned. "Nishimura Akane, yes? She was admitted to the ICU yesterday afternoon. I can give you a visitor's pass but I can't guarantee if you can meet her right now."

Emiko widened her eyes. "The ICU? Isn't that where seriously hurt patients go to? Is Nishimura-sensei okay?"

"I'm sorry, miss. I'm not in a position to inform you about her condition. Here. Take this visitor's pass and go to the ICU. The head receptionist there will be able to tell you more. Good luck."

"Thank you," Yoichi said, taking the passes.

They walked quite somberly to the ICU with directions from some kind nurses. Yoichi felt even worse. The ICU? Was Nishimura-sensei in critical condition? Well, of course she was. She wasn't _breathing_ yesterday and that would draw up some serious concerns.

Emiko patted his arm with a quivery smile. "She'll be okay, Yo-kun. Remember, Satou-sensei helped her yesterday and the doctors here are really good. She'll be okay."

Yoichi couldn't fully share her optimism as much as he wanted to. What if Satou-san had been too late? What if something happened while she was going to the hospital? When she _arrived_ in the hospital? So many questions and alarming scenarios continued to pop up in his head before he found himself at the ICU. It was quiet and empty other than two people standing in front of the receptionist's desk. One was a very tall blonde woman, most likely a foreigner, and the other was…

"Satou-sensei?" Emiko said.

The young man paused in his conversation with the receptionist and turned around to see who called him out. He tilted his head questioningly when he looked at them.

"Oh, and you are…?"

Yoichi couldn't stop Emiko in time from blabbering her mouth even more.

She bowed enthusiastically. "Oh, it's very nice to meet you! My name is Akamine Emiko and I'm from Namimori Middle. You saved my teacher yesterday!"

Satou-san's lips twitched slightly. "Ah, I see." He glanced at the flowers and the get-well card. "I guess you're here to visit her."

Emiko nodded. "Yes! We were really worried about her." Her shoulder sagged a bit. "She scared us yesterday."

Satou-san nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, that would've terrified anyone. It's nice to see that you're here though. I was just about to go in and check up on her. Though flowers aren't allowed in the ICU."

Emiko deflated at that tidbit.

"You're not a doctor here?" Yoichi said suddenly.

Satou-san laughed. "Oh, no! I don't work here. I'm just in Namimori for some business." He gestured to the woman next to him. "She's Ema, by the way. She's my OR nurse from Berlin."

"It's nice to meet you," Ema said in Japanese. Even Emiko was startled at the fluency. "It's kind of you to visit your teacher. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Before Emiko could say anything, a familiar voice said, "Yo-chan!"

Yoichi tensed, turning around quickly to see his brother and Yamamoto walking up to them. "What are you doing here?"

Shinzo pouted. "We're here to visit Nishimura-sensei. Nice to see you here though, Yo-chan."

Yamamoto smiled that same insufferable grin of his. "Yo, Yoichi, Emiko."

Emiko grinned. "Takeshi-kun, Shinzo-kun, it's great to see you here!"

"Ciaossu."

Yoichi froze. Kami, no…

Reborn was sitting on Yamamoto's shoulder—how the hell did Yoichi not notice him?—and regarded the scene coolly with his terrifying black eyes.

Emiko squealed. "Who's this? Is he your little brother, Takeshi-kun? I didn't know you had one! He's so adorable!"

Yamamoto smiled. "He's not my little brother. He came with Shinzo and Yoichi this morning."

Satou-san coughed behind them while Shinzo shrugged helplessly. "He wouldn't leave me. Sorry, Yo-chan."

"My name is Reborn," the demon spawn said cutely, much to Emiko's delight. "I'm Shin-baka and Yo-baka's home tutor."

Yoichi mentally groaned. Kami, kill him now…

* * *

 **A/N Thank you for reading this story and sticking this far! It means the world to me! :^)**

 **Translation:**

 _ **Mäuschen**_ **: Little mouse**

 **Now that I look at it, the main canon plot is taking a while to come together and I apologize if it's very slow. I think I got caught up on establishing the characters' relationships more than focusing on the story, hehe. The next chapter will have tons of dialogue and will push the story forward (hopefully)!**

 **Let me know what you think! Leave a question or two if you want and I'll try to get back to you ASAP (without telling nay spoilers, hehe).**

 **See you in the next chapter, peeps!**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	6. Chapter 5

" _No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power."_ – Jacob Bronowski

* * *

It was routine for Kyoya to make daily rounds around Namimori. The small town was his territory. To protect was deeply rooted in his veins, and it was the sole embodiment of the Hibari Clan's foundation.

He broke up (unnecessary) large crowds, bit some delinquents to death, and received constant updates from his right-hand man, Kusakabe. There was nothing out-of-place in Namimori, as it should be. Another day of peace was a success for him. The clan might've had a larger outreach outside of the small town, but Namimori was _his_. He would protect his turf until his very last breath.

Around three in the afternoon, he decided to head back home. Today didn't seem like it would be any trouble for him so he left the patrols to his subordinates, expecting the herbivores to call him only when necessary. They should know protocol by now or they'd be bitten to death.

His house, a large traditional Japanese home with decorative structures, was the largest and most prominent in Namimori. It was a proud building that symbolized the authority and opulence of the Hibari Clan. The neighborhood was empty—the herbivores knew better than to crowd around the quiet, reclusive area—save for a black car parked out front.

Kyoya instantly bristled when he saw a few suited men by the gates, keeping a watchful eye on the premises. They bowed when he passed through before resuming their duties. He noted a pair of _geta_ sandals by the entrance and slid the door open.

A woman sat at a small table with a cup of green tea resting in front of her. Her long black hair was tied back into a tight bun, pinned by two hair sticks. She wore a purple kimono that sagged around her pale shoulders and held a long smoking pipe between her slender fingers. Aoi, her skylark, was perched on top of her head and chirped a sweet trill when she saw Kyoya.

His aunt's red lips curled into a smile and she nodded elegantly in greeting. "Kyo-chan, welcome back."

The _shishi-odoshi_ was the only sound breaking the silence; the bamboo rocker sharply tapped a rock every few seconds, water trickling in the fountain with a steady rhythm. Hibari slipped off his shoes and gracefully sat down across from her.

"Why are you here, carnivore?"

His aunt seldom came home to Namimori ever since a Tokyo branch derailed five years ago. It was rare for her to stay for even a day at Namimori, her schedule riddled with negotiating and extorting other yakuza clans. Though his aunt was rarely in the picture, Hibari didn't care. He had always been an aloof child and wasn't all that keen on any affectionate doting, not since his parents' deaths.

Sachiko merely smiled and blew a small stream of smoke from her lips, much to Kyoya's distaste. She clicked her tongue while she looked over him. "You must work on your hospitality at some point, Kyo-chan. Your violent temperament can only get you so far."

Kyoya pursed his lips but didn't say a word. He heard the same thing several times already. Nonetheless, his aunt was one of the very few people he saw on equal footing (maybe even higher), which made her bearable. She was ruthless under that saccharine demeanor. Vaguely, he was glad that she took him under her wing rather than cast him out—that would've been easier for her since the Hibari Clan was matriarchal and wasn't looking for an heir.

"You're doing well here," Sachiko said. "But"—Kyoya tensed when she slipped a file across the table— "you missed some things. I expected better, Kyo-chan."

Kyoya opened the report, immediately perusing its content. The further he read, the more irritated he became. He had to bite some herbivores to death later. His information network clearly needed an intensive re-haul. Anything that was a threat to Namimori would be eliminated.

"A few of my men saw Reborn the other day," Sachiko said, gesturing at the baby carnivore's information. "They tracked him here before losing his trail." She smiled knowingly. "Don't blame your subordinates, Kyo-chan. They're learning after all, including you. Remember, there's a world that exists outside of Namimori, too. Besides, I'd be surprised if any of them could pick up Reborn's presence. He's a slippery one."

"What is he doing here?" Kyoya said, ignoring the small jab. He flipped through some bank transactions, noting the rather large sums of euros.

"You need to look at the bigger picture, Kyo-chan. The Vongola boss is old and his children are all dead. There's one unaccounted for but my sources tell me he's adopted." Sachiko blew another puff of smoke. Kyoya was severely tempted to break her pipe. "My men were able to find a hidden bank account that wired money here." She tapped a finger on top of the transaction papers. "Sawada Junko. I believe she's the wife of Sawada Iemitsu, the leader of CEDEF."

Sawada—the twin herbivores at Namimori Middle instantly came to mind. The two didn't cause much trouble compared to the beginning of the school year, particularly the older herbivore. He had given the Discipline Committee the largest meeting room in the school in return for no punishment for his blond hair. Dyed hair was against the school rules as Kyoya reminded him many times before. He had insisted that it was from his father's genes but had no proof.

Kyoya instantly connected the dots, not liking the results. So, these herbivores were the sons to the Vongola's second-in-command. The baby carnivore was sent to train them to become prospective candidates for Decimo, which meant that something interesting was finally going to happen in Namimori. However, that interesting something would disturb the peace and Kyoya would not stand for it.

"Spare a little pity for them, Kyo-chan," Sachiko said, a small gleam in her sharp eyes. "They had no knowledge of their father's history nor did his wife. Besides, I heard that Reborn is quite the interesting tutor."

The baby carnivore was powerful, Kyoya could tell. He shivered in anticipation, already imagining the fight between them would be like. He was very confident that it would make his blood sing.

Sachiko clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "What happened to the peace you wanted to keep? I won't allow you to take out more money to repair your damages. Poor, Tetsu-chan. He'll die from a heart attack at this rate."

"Mind your business, carnivore. Namimori is _mine_."

"Yes, yes. No need to get vulgar about it, Kyo-chan. I'm just pointing out the flaws in your own system." Sachiko glanced at his tonfas, which were already in his hands. She smiled in a way that made Kyoya extremely uncomfortable. This was the carnivore, the leader of the feared Hibari Clan. "Oh, please, Kyo-chan. You wouldn't. Besides, I don't have much time. I'm sure you know this already—rumors do get around quickly in Namimori—but your little friend is back."

Kyoya stiffened. A kind face and tousled brown hair briefly flashed in his mind. Yes, he had seen him yesterday at the school gates. The carnivore had grown.

Sachiko's eyes softened. "Kyo-chan, have you met him yet?"

Kyoya didn't respond. He couldn't give her an answer because it actually _pained_ him that the other didn't recognize him. The carnivore had seen him and only gave him a polite smile before heading inside the school building. He had resisted every nerve in his body to run after him, even more so when he saw what he did to the herbivore teacher later.

"I see." Sachiko blew another stream of smoke from her pipe as she gently scratched Aoi's chin. "I don't know how long he'll be here. His beloved teacher has lung cancer and will die in a few months, if not fewer." She smiled. "You'll be able to see him before he leaves, right, Kyo-chan?"

Kyoya remained quiet, his mind reeling at the information. A few months. He could deal with that…

He was eight when he first met the carnivore. Kyoya clenched his hands into fists. He was weak then, his mind muddled and barely coming to terms with his parents' deaths, which he vowed to never happen again. The carnivore had first found him fending off some enemy yakuza in an alleyway. He had already been on death's doors before the carnivore swooped in and saved him. Kyoya would never forget the pure orange flames that burst from the boy's body, _burning_ the yazuka men into ashes and leaving nothing behind; how the flames receded, as if they were never there; and the carnivore's kind smile after bringing him home to his distraught aunt.

He had only seen the carnivore once but that first meeting had changed Kyoya's life. As a child, he was still impressionable, still young, and constantly stumbling on his feet to adapt to the rapidly changing world. After recovering from his injuries, Kyoya had searched for the carnivore everywhere until he found out that he had left for Italy. He had never felt so disappointed in his whole life.

"Kyo-chan." His aunt's gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "He's right here in Namimori, your turf. You won't let him leave again."

She was right. He wouldn't. He had promised, in all his eight-year-old glory, to repay his debt to the carnivore, whether he liked it or not. Kyoya was not someone who let his debts go unpaid. It was a matter of pride, even though he wasn't fond of it. For the carnivore, he would make an exception (and maybe ask for a fight or two; he wanted to see those flames again).

Sachiko smiled. "That'd be all. Be careful, Kyo-chan. I don't believe Namimori will be quite normal from now on, but I trust you to protect it. You're doing wonderfully."

She stood up and reached over to pat his head. Kyoya glared at her hand but didn't do anything to shake her off. As Sachiko prepared to leave, a sharp popping sound resounded from outside. They both immediately ducked as bullets wracked through the house. A few vases shattered from impact; some of the shards nicked his skin. His aunt's subordinates were screaming orders to find the shooters. Kyoya clenched his teeth, his hands tightening around his tonfas. He will _shred_ the herbivores into scraps of nothing but skin and bones when he found them.

The gunshots ceased as quickly as they started. The door slid open and one of Sachiko's men entered, holding a hand tightly to his side. His eyes widened.

" _Oyabun_!"

Kyoya instantly moved to the other side of the room; his mind went blank once he saw his aunt lying on the ground and clutching her stomach. Blood poured out of her wound as she struggled to stay conscious.

"Herbivore," Kyoya said, eerily calm, "call the ambulance. _Now_."

"Y—Yes!"

The herbivore immediately dialed his phone, glancing worriedly at his aunt. A hand reached out to grasp Kyoya's. "Kyo-chan…"

Her eyes fluttered and Kyoya froze. No… no, no, no, no. He suppressed the panic that surged in his body and held her hand tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Don't close your eyes, carnivore."

He could faintly hear tires squealing, his mother screaming his name, his father crying out in agony—then black. He had sworn to not be this weak again but the memories were relentless, indifferent to his pain, incessantly appearing in his head.

"I will find them," he promised. "I will tear them _apart_."

Sachiko closed her eyes.

* * *

Rumors had already spread in Namimori—it took even less time to spread in the hospital. Akiko had checked her ambulance for the umpteenth time, making sure it had everything it needed, when she heard that _the_ Satou Tsunayoshi was in Namimori. Someone had even said that they saw him in the ICU to visit a patient he saved yesterday. Akiko wasn't sure if she can believe that he had used a _pen_ to save her. Her brother, Shoichi, would be ecstatic at the prospects of possibly meeting the genius surgeon though.

Akiko stretched her arms in the air with a yawn. She walked into the break room and poured herself another cup of coffee, nodding towards a few other colleagues in greeting. They were playing some poker. Akiko wasn't interested.

"Yo, Aki-chan!" Yuki said, tossing Akiko a bag of chips. "I managed to score some from the pediatrics department. Enjoy it while it lasts."

Akiko raised a brow. "I heard they were pretty angry about missing stuff lately." She glanced pointedly at a couple of staplers on the desk. "I don't think we need that much anyway."

Her friend rolled his eyes. "Relax. It's not like they were working on their paperwork. Nothing happens around here." He instantly perked up. "Hey, did you—"

"Yeah, I heard." Akiko opened the bag of chips and munched on one. Huh, sriracha.

"Kami, I couldn't believe it! They said that he came yesterday from _Germany_. Some people saw him with some blonde chic, too." He grinned, wriggling his eyebrows. "They think they're together."

"Cool." Akiko turned on the TV and browsed through some channels. "By the way, where's the newbie?"

"Oh, I think he went out with another unit. Another heart attack call or something." Yuki shrugged. "Not like there's much to learn. Nothing happens in Namimori that's as interesting as the big cities."

"We're still a functioning hospital," Akiko said. "We still have a job to do, Yuki."

"Yeah, yeah, save your honorable speech for later. Face it, Aki-chan. We're not gonna learn much while we're here. I guess elderly care and stuff. And heart attacks—so many damn heart attacks—but you know it. I was thinking about transferring soon. Maybe Osaka or Kyoto. What do you think?"

"Do whatever you want."

They would always have the same, one-sided conversation. While it was annoying, she understood where Yuki (and most of the staff) was coming from. Namimori was an average town with average people. Rarely anything "exciting" happened, even with the notorious Hibari Clan residing at the heart of the town. Most of the citizens were happy with the clan's protection, and in return, Namimori was peaceful. Less crime, less mayhem, less cases. It was the ideal, Akiko had said, since there were less people in danger or on death's doors.

Consequently, the hospital grew laxer. Even though it was owned and funded by a university, it was nothing compared to other university hospitals in the big cities. There were limited resources since the board didn't see the point in funneling money to something they would rarely use; there were less doctors and surgeons on duty; and an even smaller pool of residents and interns registering for their programs, most opting to go to the big cities. Nurses did most of the work, only consulting a doctor for specialized issues.

But that didn't matter to her. Akiko was just here because she had nothing better to do and no hopes of moving out of Namimori. Might as well make her life more worth it while she can. Plus, she could contribute some money to Shoichi's college fund. He needed it more than she did anyways.

"How's your brother by the way? I heard he won another robotics competition. Congrats."

Akiko smiled softly. "Yeah, Sho-kun's amazing. He got first place and beat a lot of high school competitors, too. He has a lot going for him."

Yuki snickered. "Tell that to his face. He'll probably have diarrhea for the next week."

Akiko rolled her eyes and threw her empty bag of chips at Yuki's face. "Shut up."

"Come on, I think it's rather sweet. It's like—"

Their radios suddenly crackled. "C—Code one, code one. Ambulance unit one, two, and four, dispatch code one."

It took a few seconds before everyone in the room stood up. Akiko threw away her cup and ran out of the break room. "Yuki, take the wheel!"

Her friend immediately snapped out of his stupor before stumbling after her. "R—Right."

Akiko grabbed her radio. "Got it. Ambulance unit two heading out, copy. Anything else?"

"Reports of multiple gunshots at the Hibari residence," the dispatcher said quickly. "Two victims were allegedly shot in the chest, both male. The third victim was shot in the stomach. The third victim"—his breath hitched—"the third victim is Hibari Sachiko."

Akiko paled and cursed under her breath as she climbed into the passenger seat. Yuki turned on the ignition and reversed out of the ambulance station, tires screeching. A gunshot wound—a fucking gunshot wound. What the hell was going on?

The radio crackled again. "Ambulance unit four heading out, copy."

Yuki stepped on the gas, quickly gaining speed, and turned on the sirens. Though not many residents drove around Namimori, it was better to be safe than sorry. More distant sirens sounded from behind them.

"Ambulance unit two, ETA to the Hibari residence is ten minutes," Akiko said, glancing at the time.

"Copy. Good luck…"

When they arrived at the scene, Akiko could barely believe it when she saw a police car parked outside the Hibari residence. Detective Mochida stood by the gates with his partner, unsure on whether he wanted to go in or not. This was real, she thought hazily. This was _happening_.

"Holy shit," Yuki whispered.

Akiko couldn't agree more. Still, she took the time to assess the scene. Police were here and no one was in custody, meaning they didn't catch the culprits. She couldn't see the victims but she would in a minute. As soon as they parked near the front, they immediately jumped out of the ambulance, Yuki a little less graceful. The other ambulances followed up swiftly behind them.

Yuki stumbled to the back, opening the doors to gather the emergency first-aid kit and a gurney. Akiko immediately rolled it towards the residence as other paramedics came onto the scene.

"Yo, Yuki," Ichiro said, nodding at his direction. "Akiko-san."

Akiko merely spared him a glance before nodding towards Detecive Mochida. "Mochida-san, we'll be handling it from here."

"Ah, yes, er," Mochida said, flailing his arms. "Be my guest."

Akiko marched past him. Her stomach churned when she saw the mess. Blood—so much blood. Two men were bleeding out on the ground, clutching their chests. Each had another man supporting them and desperately trying to stop the bleeding. She didn't know how they were still alive.

Her hands clenched into fists. What was she supposed to do? She never handled this before. _No one_ ever got shot in Namimori. Hell, who even _owned_ a gun in Japan? She was never trained for this because the hospital would never expect this to happen. She didn't know whether to blame the hospital or herself for not being prepared enough.

"We got him." Ichiro passed by her with his partner behind. He knelt by one of the men's side and calmly gave instructions to his partner. Ichiro may have worked longer than her in the field but she could tell how lost he was under his calm façade. They were on the same boat now. All of them.

"You! Over here!"

The abrupt shout snapped Akiko out of her daze and she immediately followed a scarred man inside the house. Shattered vases were strewn all over the floor and some photos had toppled over from the dressers. A table was flipped over, green tea spilled on the ground. Akiko immediately walked over to the lying body. She barely registered the infamous prefect by the woman's side.

"Hibari-san, can you hear me?" Akiko said, looking for any more injuries.

The woman swam in and out of consciousness, her eyes fluttering, as she struggled to stay awake. She only groaned lightly in response, her breathing ragged. Kami, she didn't look good.

"Herbivore." The prefect had his hands pressed tightly onto the woman's stomach, blood soaking her kimono and his shirt.

"R—Right." Akiko bit her lips. Stop the bleeding. That was common sense, right? "Yuki, we need to move her. Suspected wound in her abdomen. I'm not sure where. Hurry! She's drifting."

"Got it."

They both lifted her gently onto the stretcher with the help of the scarred man. The prefect didn't leave them as they wheeled Sachiko to their ambulance.

"Hibari-san," Akiko said, looking at the prefect, "you're doing good. Keep your hands on her wound while I bandage her." She glanced at the scarred man. "Sir—"

"I'm going," he growled.

She looked at his side then sighed. "Passenger seat. Go."

He left with Yuki after he closed the doors, looking mildly disappointed he couldn't stay with them.

"Yuki, call the ER now."

Yuki immediately drove out, his voice crackling through the radio. Akiko quickly placed an oxygen mask over Sachiko's mouth and quickly began wrapping bandages around her wound. Shit, it was still bleeding. Where was it coming from? Akiko just couldn't bring herself to look. What if she fucked up and made it worse?

"Hibari-san," she said, looking down at the barely conscious woman, "we're heading to the hospital. Nod if you understand."

Sachiko, thank Kami, nodded slightly. "Kyo-chan…"

"Carnivore," Kyoya said. "Don't close your eyes."

His aunt smiled faintly. "Kyo-chan…"

"What's her blood type, Hibari-san?" Akiko said.

"O positive."

"Aki-chan! Phone!" Yuki shouted.

Akiko immediately picked it up. "44-year-old female, a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. I can't tell where the bleeding is coming from. She's exhibiting low blood pressure and needs to be intubated."

"What?"

"She's an emergency patient!" Akiko snapped. "The clinics aren't suitable for her condition."

"R—Right. Please hold for second." There were distant murmurs in the background before the nurse said, "O—Okay, bring her in."

"Great." Akiko hung up. "Yuki, she's through. How much longer?"

"We're here!"

Yuki drove towards the ER entrance with incredible speed before slowing down. He dashed out of the ambulance, the other man following him immediately. Akiko opened the doors and rolled Sachiko out, checking her breathing again. It was still ragged and there was no change. Okay, that was still better than her not breathing. Akiko mentally winced. Kami, she was just incompetent.

"Hibari-san, we're at the hospital," she said. "Hang in there."

Sachiko just blinked blearily in response. Yuki took the lead, rolling the gurney towards the doors, when a sharp voice said, "Stop!"

Ishida-sensei stood at the doorway, looking absolutely livid. "All on-duty doctors are unavailable now. I apologize for the misunderstanding."

Akiko tensed. She was pretty sure her heart would burst any second. "I—Ishida-sensei, she—"

"I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do." The doctor looked at Kyoya with unconcealed contempt.

The prefect grabbed his tonfas but stopped when Sachiko gripped the sleeve of his jacket weakly. An unspoken conversation passed between them before Kyoya snarled. He fucking _snarled_. An animalistic gleam shone in his eyes, making Akiko shudder. "Herbivore, I will bite you to death if you don't take her."

"I'm only a physician and the messenger, Hibari-san. Again, I apologize for the misunderstanding. Please take her to another hospital right away. You don't have much time."

"Ishida-sensei," Akiko said, her voice quivering, "she'll die by the time we take her somewhere else. What about Kurokawa-sensei?"

" _All_ of our on-duty doctors are unavailable. Don't make me repeat myself, Irie-san. Take her elsewhere."

Akiko and Yuri gaped at Ishida-sensei in horror. Why, what…? Sure, they didn't have many surgeons on hand but this was… He was sentencing a patient to _death_. There had to be _something_ they could do.

"Satou," Kyoya said. "Satou Tsunayoshi. Get him."

Ishida-sense narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Hibari-san, but he doesn't work here. Please—"

"I'm sorry, sensei!" Yuki suddenly shouted. He pulled the gurney and shoved the smaller doctor to the side. Ishida-sensei sputtered and gaped as they all dashed past him. "I swear I'll do all the paperwork for a year!"

Akiko finally breathed when they reached the ER. "You're dead, Yuki."

Yuki laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I just moved."

The desk nurse stared at them, wide-eyed. "What—"

Kyoya walked up to her and smashed one of his tonfas on the desk, making everyone flinch. Akiko swore she saw cracks. "Herbivore, get Satou Tsunayoshi _now_."

"I—I'm sorry but we don't—"

This is so going against protocols but Akiko didn't give a shit anymore. Sachiko was _dying_. Her death would be on herhands and she would _not_ be okay to live with that.

"Please," she said, her voice higher than normal, "he's in the ICU. Send a message through the PA system, anything." She gestured at Sachiko. "We have no time. She's _dying_. We'll take full responsibility."

The nurse nodded, clearly more terrified of Kyoya, before speaking into the microphone. "Code blue. Satou Tsunayoshi-san, please come to the ER as soon as possible."

Akiko checked Sachiko's blood pressure and tensed. "Hibari-san, keep your eyes open! Help is on the way." She kept her hands on the bleeding wound, the red liquid warm seeping through the bandages. Shit.

The woman's breathing became quick and short, her eyes quivering as she tried to keep conscious. Kyoya immediately went to her side, gripping her hand tightly.

"What's going on?" someone said, confused. "Did someone call for me?"

Akiko turned around quickly to see a young man with tousled brown hair and a tall foreign woman arrive at the desk. Four young teens followed behind them, dressed in the Namimori Middle uniforms. A strange baby rested on top of the blond one's head.

"Are you Satou Tsunayoshi-san?" Yuki said. "Please, we need your help! There're no one else available. We didn't know what to do!"

The change was instantaneous. Satou-san's eyes narrowed when he walked towards Sachiko, immediately assessing her conditions. "Status."

Akiko blinked. "Um, 44-year-old female, a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. I don't know where the bleeding's coming from. Pulse is feeble at 130 and blood pressure at 60. Her breathing became quick and short a few minutes ago."

"She needs an emergency operation," Satou-san said. "Where—"

"Enough!" Everyone turned around to see Ishida-sensei heaving. His eyes were murderous. "Satou-san, _you_ don't work here! And there are no operating rooms available now so—"

" _Leave_. Don't get in my way if you won't help."

The room instantly chilled. Akiko stared, wide-eyed, at Satou-san. His eyes were narrowed and his whole body exuded authority. She was definitely dreaming. Today just wasn't _real_.

"Nurse," Satou-san said, ignoring the stammering doctor, "are there any available rooms?"

"Ah, um, well, the observational room is open."

"Lead the way. Ema, take over. Kami, why isn't she hooked to an IV already?"

Akiko winced but kept her mouth shut, suddenly terrified of disappointing him. The foreign woman took the oxygen valve from Yuki, squeezing every few seconds.

"Please follow me!" The nurse promptly led them to the observation operating room.

"I need any available nurses and an anesthesiologist," Satou-san ordered.

The nurse nodded. "I already made some calls. They will be there shortly, Satou-sensei."

"What's her blood type?"

"O positive," Akiko said weakly.

"Do you have extra surgical attire?"

"Yes!" the nurse said. "I'll get them to you right away!"

When they arrived at the room, a few nurses were already waiting.

"Take her in now!" Satou-san said, passing them the gurney.

The nurses immediately rolled her in, automatically hooking her to the machines and setting up an IV.

"I'll need eight units of O-positive blood, typed and crossed," Satou-san ordered. "Get a CT scan and ultrasound on her abdomen. Set her up for intubation and get her stabilized before I get back."

The nurses nodded and immediately started to move, surprisingly unbothered to be ordered around by a much younger person. Satou-san then closed the doors and looked at them. "You'll need to wait outside."

The teenagers reluctantly left with the baby in tow.

"Good luck, Satou-san!" the blond one said, giving him a thumbs-up.

The brunet smiled and waved. Kyoya stayed behind, staring at the operating room's doors. The scarred man patted his shoulder.

"We should wait, Hibari-sama."

Kyoya then directed his gaze at Satou-san, indecipherable emotions passing through his dark eyes. "You better save her, carnivore."

Satou-san smiled. "Don't worry. She won't die. I'll make sure of it."

He and Ema then left to change. Akiko guided the rest outside into the waiting area, her heart still pounding.

"Nice move, Yuki," she said, jabbing her elbow playfully at his side.

"Kami," Yuki groaned, "I'm never doing that again."

"You saved her, hopefully. Personally, I think you did the right thing. Professionally…"

Her partner flushed. "Yeah, I'll probably never come back again. It was nice knowing you."

Akiko glanced at the other men. "We can bring you to another room to get your wounds checked. It's not serious, but you'll probably need some stitches."

The scarred man shook his head. "No, I will wait until oyabun is done."

Kyoya didn't even bother to respond but Akiko suspected he would've said the same.

"Wait," she said. "The other men." Her eyes widened. "The other patients! How long until the other surgeons are free? Where's Ishida-sensei?"

Yuki mirrored her expression. "Shit."

They both ran to the desk, nearly stumbling over each other as they caught the nurse's attention.

"We had two other patients from the same location," Yuki said. "Gunshot wounds to the chest. Sound familiar? They were right behind us."

"I—Ishida-sensei just turned them away. I don't know where they're going."

Akiko couldn't stop herself. "Are you _shitting_ me?"

* * *

 **A/N Ahh, I got too excited to write this chapter. So here it is, a day or two early, hehe.**

 **I may or may not have botched up all the medical terminology, procedures, and facts, but I tried my best to keep it all as realistic as possible. The research is fun though. Let me know if there's anything that's fishy or incorrect, peeps! Let's all learn about the wonderful world of hospital politics and procedures, hehe.**

 **And more characters, haha! Akiko is an actual canon character though. Hope you like her inclusion (and the other OC's). I also might have ruined Kyoya's character but oh wells.**

 **Thank you for reading! Leave a thought or two when you can and I'll try to get back to you if you have any questions!**

 **Have a lovely day, peeps~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	7. Chapter 6

" _If you truly believe in the value of life, you care about all of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society." –_ Joni Eareckson Tada

* * *

"Are you _shitting_ me?"

Everyone in the ER instantly turned to stare at the paramedics by the desk. Reborn calmly assessed the situation from on top of Shinzo's head. Several things had happened in the past few minutes and his mind was reeling to properly process them. The students had visited Nishimura-sensei in the ICU, rotating in pairs as per the hospital rules, when a voice over the PA system asked for Tsunayoshi in the ER. It became even more interesting when they arrived.

The situation centered around Hibari Sachiko, head of the Hibari Clan. Though the hitman wasn't as astute in yakuza politics, that didn't make him oblivious to their conflicts and connections. Sachiko had gained even more enemies since her Tokyo branch collapsed five years ago. The woman was near death, and it briefly reminded him how fleeting human lives were.

That being said, it would take a yakuza family serious guts to try assassinating a Hibari, especially in their home territory. Hibaris were nothing more than territorial and wouldn't shy away from shedding blood in retaliation. Nonetheless, it was a decent opportunity for them, especially since the head family was considerably smaller now than it was eight years ago. The clan had no heiress left other than Sachiko, the youngest to the head matron who passed just months after her eldest daughter had died in a car accident. Fon was an illegitimate child, the youngest of the three, and a man—he wouldn't even come close touching the head title of a matriarchal clan. Besides, he was already occupied with the Triads in China and saddled with the Arcobaleno curse. That was enough for him as it is.

Hibari Kyoya, the infamous prefect of Namimori and the only heir left, was a testament that the family shouldn't be messed with. Though he would undoubtedly be passed over for the head title for the closest female relative, he had already established himself as Namimori's protector early on. Reborn had considered him a strong candidate for being the Cloud Guardian, but was unable to discern the relationship he had with Tsunayoshi, which could be a problem soon. The prefect seemed to know the other on a more personal level, even calling him a "carnivore", but Tsunayoshi didn't seem to recognize him. Reborn wondered if it had to do with the odd barrier around the young man's core.

He brushed the thoughts aside to think about later. Namimori was just becoming more and more interesting by the day.

Hibari stood behind the paramedics and was glaring at the desk nurses, his sharp eyes even more intimidating. The scarred man next to him had his hands clenched into fists, looking absolutely livid.

"What's going on?" Shinzo said.

Emiko shrugged, glancing worriedly at the paramedics. "I don't know but it looks serious."

The students, including Yoichi, edged a bit closer to hear. Subtle. Reborn noted to add some stealth training on the twins' schedule. It was getting considerably longer by the second.

"I—I can call them now if you'd like and find out where they're headed," the nurse stammered out.

"Do it!" Yuki said.

"What about Kurokawa-sensei?" Akiko asked. "Where is he?"

"He's currently operating in another room," a bespectacled nurse responded. "We don't know how long much longer he'll take."

"Are any other surgeons available soon?"

The bespectacled nurse hesitated before saying, "Ah, well, Ogura-sensei is currently at a conference at Kokuyo University. He left about two hours ago but—"

"Seto-san, not another word." Ishida came out of his office, dragging a terrified trainee behind him. He glared at the paramedics before looking Hibari in the eye. The man must've had a death sentence, Reborn thought amusedly. "Teshima, explain yourself." Ishida shoved the trainee forward, drawing all eyes on him.

Teshima was trembling violently, barely making any eye-contact, before he bowed deeply. "I—My name is Teshima Hideki and I was the one who a—accepted the call for the patients. It was my fault for the misund—"

"Herbivore, shut up," Hibari said, never losing eye-contact with Ishida.

Teshima squeaked.

"I believe you're not getting the picture here, Hibari-san," Ishida said coolly. "Teshima realized his mistake and just wants to clear up any misunderstandings. He's a trainee and must've rushed with his judgement. I promise to train him more carefully from now on."

"If it weren't for his call, Hibari-san would be dead," Akiko said tightly.

"While I acknowledge your concerns, I won't tolerate your insubordination. Especially you, Usui." He glanced at Yuki at the corner of his eye, making the other flinch. "Teshima, go back to your desk. I'll deal with you later. Seto-san, cancel the surgery."

Seto blinked before horror dawned on her face. "W—What surgery, Ishida-sensei?"

Ishida scowled. "The one in the observation room. I'll personally see to it that Satou and that foreigner is out of there."

"You can't do that!" Emiko said abruptly. "He—He promised to save that woman's life!"

She flinched when Ishida looked her way. "Miss, he does not work here. Whatever happens in that room will be on the hospital's hands. What if the patient dies under his care?"

"She won't," Shinzo said firmly. "Satou-san promised that."

"Anything can happen in that room and I will not allow anything drastic under my supervision. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The scarred man, Nobu, grabbed his arm. A man of impressive build, he was well-known as Sachiko's right-hand man in the underworld. "Where did you send them?"

Ishida glanced at his hand. "I'm warning you to let go of me, sir, or I'll call security."

" _Where_ did you send them?"

Ishida narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure the ambulances found a hospital to treat them. We're not the only medical institution in Namimori, _sir_."

He then snatched his arm away and walked towards the long corridor to the operating rooms. Before Ishida could take one more step, Hibari immediately blocked his path.

"You will stay here, herbivore," he said, "or I'll bite you to death."

"Threatening me?" Ishida said, his thin lips twitching into a small smile. "I will call the security _and_ the police. You may be a Hibari but don't expect yourself to be above the law—you know nothing."

"Isn't Hibari-san technically the police?" Yamamoto asked lightly with a laugh. His eyes told otherwise. The kid had qualities of a natural hitman, and Reborn already identified him as a prospective guardian.

"Irie-san," the one of the nurses said quietly, hanging up the phone, "the other two patients died on route to Kokuyo University Hospital. I'm so sorry…"

All hell instantly broke loose, and no one noticed Reborn slip away from the room.

* * *

As soon as he returned to the operating room, Tsuna nodded towards the nurses in greeting, Ema following behind him. A rush of bliss pulsed through his veins; he was all-too comfortable with this setting. He'd think of the consequences later. Now, he had a patient to save. "I know this isn't the best of circumstances but I entrust myself and my assistant in your care."

They all bowed. "Yes, Satou-san."

The patient had an oxygen mask placed over her mouth and was covered in sterile drapes, save for her abdomen.

"Why isn't she intubated?"

The nurses tensed. "W—We aren't allowed to, Satou-san," one of them piped up. "The doctors are the only ones who can."

Tsuna scowled. "Kami, at least she's anesthetized. Do it now."

The nurses quickly moved to do his bidding. At least they _knew_ how to do it, even though it was clumsy at best. He fixed the intubation tube quickly, taping it down to the patient's neck, and immediately assessed her body, drawing up a mental scan of her vitals and organs. A single GSW to the abdomen. With that amount of bleeding, the bullet must've hit the liver. Most likely an IVC injury from the sheer amount of blood.

"Is it possible to get a FAST scan?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Satou-san, but what is that?" a male nurse said, his brows furrowed.

Tsuna pursed his lips under his surgical mask. Of course. This hospital didn't even have a trauma center. He got rid of the thought quickly to focus back again on the patient and situation at hand. He could still make do with the CT scan and ultrasound.

"Never mind. We'll have to open her abdomen." Tsuna's eyes gleamed. "Commence operation. Ema."

She immediately took charge on the other side, shocking the other occupants in the room.

"Is she a surgeon too?" someone whispered.

"She's my RN first assistant," Tsuna said, ignoring the squeak. "I'm guessing you don't have that here."

"The doctor does everything here," another said quietly.

"Lovely. Scalpel."

"Y—Yes!" The scrub nurse immediately handed him the tool, fumbling slightly.

"Opening."

The blade was comfortable in his hand as he carefully sliced the patient's stomach open. The inside was an absolute mess. Blood was everywhere, making it difficult to see any organs.

"We have to find the bullet quickly," Tsuna said. "She doesn't have long. It's a miracle she's even still alive. First-aid treatment could use some work."

He couldn't really blame the paramedics though. They looked like they didn't know how to handle a gunshot wound, or anyone in this hospital for that matter.

"Pressure's down to 60," Ema said.

"Clamp." Tsuna quickly shifted through the organs. There was just too much blood to see anything clearly but he was still able to pinpoint the source, the ultrasound coming to mind. "The IVC's damaged behind the liver. Put a running suture beneath my clamp right there. Nice."

Ema skillfully sutured what he ordered, her hands steady and precise. They glanced at each other and a small moment of silence passed between them. This was their fucking zone, and Tsuna was loving every second of it.

"Placement's good," Tsuna said. "Cut it."

"Cutting." She snipped the suture, continuously glancing at the patient's vitals.

They both continued to shift through the organs as delicately and swiftly as they could, trying to locate the bullet, when Ema suddenly said, "Tsuna, I found it."

"Nice, remove it."

"Here, Satou-sensei," another nurse said, holding up a cup.

Tsuna ignored the fact that she had called him doctor, too engrossed in gently peeling back some organs for Ema to shift through. She fished out the bullet and dropped it in the cup. "It just missed the aorta. I don't see any fragments."

"Okay, place another silk. We have to get to the bleeding." Tsuna winced under his mask. "I should've done that first. Fuck."

"Sponge stick, please," Ema said, holding out her hand. "It's okay, Tsuna. We're doing good. Keep going."

They both worked seamlessly in perfect tandem. Tsuna _loved_ their work flow, the way they could sometimes get through operations without saying a single word to each other, already knowing what each other was thinking or needed; which is why he had asked Ema to be his RN first assistant (though it wasn't all that official yet since he was technically, kind of still a learning student). He didn't think he'd ever replace her with anyone else.

After Tsuna removed the clamp, the other nurses sighed in relief, clearly never having witnessed this kind of surgery before.

"We're not done yet," he said. "She's still bleeding out."

"There are roughly two areas of damage," Ema said. "I recommend the Pringle Maneuver in this case, Tsuna."

Tsuna smiled. "Great minds think alike. Look for any other damaged areas."

"On it."

"Um, Satou-sensei," a young man said. Probably an intern. "What is…the Pringle Maneuver?"

"Isn't that the name of chips or something?" someone whispered.

"Since we should get the bleeding under control, we'll have to target the portal vein in the duodenum's ligament and then remove a portion of the liver as quickly as possible. We're going to expand the damaged area with a balloon catheter, control the bleeding, and suture. Then voila! She'll be good to go." Tsuna grinned. Everyone, except Ema, shivered at the predatory gleam in his eyes. "I'm excited! This is the third time I've ever done it. Forceps."

Tsuna swiftly maneuvered through the organs to gain better access to the portal vein. His hands were nearly a blur to the other bystanders in the room. He promptly clamped the hepatoduodenal ligament but the bleeding still continued. Definitely an IVC injury.

"Portal vein bleeding stopped. Moving on to partial liver removal."

Tsuna easily sectioned off a portion of the liver, dropping it in a nearby tray. "Partial liver removal completed. Get the balloon catheter."

"Kami," someone whispered, "he did all that in _five_ minutes."

"Ema, get ready to suture the IVC."

The machine suddenly started beeping rapidly.

"Pressure is dropping!" Ema said, immediately shifting through the organs. "60-40! Locating any other damaged areas!"

Tsuna's hands remained steady as he finished another stitch. "Completing the second suture! We need to do one more."

"The pressure's still dropping, Satou-sensei!" a nurse said, her eyes wide. "It's not stopping!"

"Ema?"

"Still searching. There's too much blood. It might take a minute or two."

There was no time. The patient had already lost a lot of blood. "Tube."

Once he had it, Tsuna slipped his hands inside the upper abdomen, eliciting gasps from the other people in the room. He calmly inserted the tube from the abdominal cavity to the chest, effectively connecting the IVC and the right atrium. That should do it for now.

"I bought you time."

Ema nodded. "Thank you."

"W—What did he do?" someone gasped.

"I'm not going to bite if you ask me questions, you know," Tsuna said light-heartedly. "I connected the right atrium and the IVC directly to create a separate blood flow. It'll manage the bleeding area to save Ema time for now. It's very risky so really not recommended."

A tense minute passed by. Ema persisted, continuously searching for the other damaged area. A nurse dabbed her forehead with a tissue, wipng away some sweat.

"Tsuna," Ema piped up, "I found it!"

Tsuna grinned. " _Gut gemacht_! Suture."

Ema's eyes crinkled slightly. She nodded and sutured the area. Tsuna stitched up the patient's abdomen within seconds after she was done. He looked up to see the rest of the crew.

He bowed. "Thank you for your assistance."

"No, thank _you_ , Satou-sensei," one of the scrub nurses said. "You saved her."

Tsuna grinned. "With all of your help. Great job, guys!"

The others smiled before bowing. "Thank you, Satou-sensei."

Tsuna shook his head. "This is only a one-time thing. No need to call me doctor. Take the patient to the surgical ICU. Have her intubated and on ventilator support. Keep an eye on any signs of internal bleeding. Thank you again."

He and Ema left to let them sterilize the room. They took off their bloody gloves and tossed them in the sanitation bin.

"We did good, Ema," Tsuna said with a grin.

Ema quirked a brow. "An atriocaval shunt, Tsuna? Where in the world did you learn that?"

The brunet smiled thinly. "Saw it in Italy."

She didn't push him for more information, just nodding and ruffling his hair. Kami bless her.

* * *

"What the hell is going on?"

When Tsuna thought about the consequences, he did not expect _this_. As soon as Tsuna and Ema stepped into the waiting room, everyone immediately stopped to look at them. The weird disciplinary kid from Namimori Middle and a scarred man were resisting some security guards trying to pull them off a seething Ishida. One of the kid's tonfas pinned the doctor's chest to the ground. Yeah, the man was an utter asshole but this was a fucking _hospital_. Tsuna never tolerated violence in a hospital.

"Satou-san!" Shinzo said, running over to him. He glanced at the commotion behind them. "Uh, Hibari-san and Nobu-san got angry at that g—"

Tsuna gave him one look and he shut up instantly. The brunet was just not amused. He walked towards Hibari, promptly shoved him off the doctor, and helped Ishida up. The older man snatched his arm away and glowered at them both.

"Satou," he said lowly.

Tsuna nodded curtly. "You're welcome."

He regarded Hibari for a moment; he could've sworn the kid felt familiar. Not even looked, _felt_. Have they met before? It was all fuzzy the more Tsuna thought about it and he decided to ponder about it later.

 _Namimori's not good for my health,_ Tsuna thought wryly.

"The surgery was a success," he said slowly. "She lost a lot of blood but we were able to stabilize her. She's going to rest in the ICU, so you can see her after a couple of hours."

The kid nodded slightly in thanks, the other man nearly collapsing in relief. He really had to look at that wound though. Probably needed some stitches.

"You don't work here," Ishida hissed. "You also don't have a medical license in Japan. Don't think that there won't be any repercussions, Satou."

"I couldn't just let her die when she already came all the way here. _And_ , you did say no doctors were available. I just happened to be here at the right time."

Ishida narrowed his eyes. "You—"

"Tsuna!"

Nana suddenly appeared, her eyes wide. Once she found Tsuna, she rushed to his side. She gripped his shoulders, her eyes roaming for any injuries. "What happened? I couldn't come because I was with a patient. I heard your name and a code blue—what the hell is going on, Tsuna? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Mama," Tsuna said, gently taking her hands in his. "Just…I may or may not need a lawyer, I think."

" _What_?"

"He saved oyabun's life," Nobu finally spoke up, his voice quiet. "If he hadn't been here, she would've died. The Hibari Clan is indebted to you, Satou-sensei."

Nana gaped, unconsciously pulling Tsuna closer to her side, almost shielding him. Tokyo suddenly came to Tsuna's mind. "What's the lawyer for again?" Nana pursed her lips. "Do I have to beat some people up?"

" _Mama_!"

"What's going on?" a new voice said.

"Kurokawa-sensei!" a nurse said in relief.

The other man took one look at all of them before sighing. "Ishida-sensei, Satou-san, my office please."

* * *

Ema had always been a quiet person but that didn't mean she was meek. She made it evident that she wouldn't be left out of Dr. Kurokawa's office. Though Tsuna's mother had to return to work—Ema already liked the petite woman from the get-go—she made it clear that whatever happened to her son, there would be hell to pay. Judging from Dr. Kurokawa's face, he probably knew what would happen. Nothing was scarier than a mother's wrath.

Ema stuck close to Tsuna's side, who nodded slightly in thanks for her support.

Tsuna might put up a poised front, but inside, he was a neurotic mess—he was still a child who had to grow up too fast to keep pace with the medical field. She hadn't been there for him before he came to Germany, but she had been there (and always will be) when he needed her the most. He'd lock himself in the supply room and break down after performing operations, successful or not. She would slip in quietly and hold him like a mother would with her child. They didn't have that luxury all the time though; another patient would be rolled in within minutes. It broke her heart to see Tsuna wipe away his tears and revert to that cold, emotionless shell of a young man.

There was always something Tsuna had to do better, something he could've done instead of this or that—he pushed himself to keep learning more about everything and anything. No mistakes would be tolerated, but there was only so much he could do. He wasn't God. As Dr. Gunther said, he was "skilled and sharper than most but still utterly human".

Tsuna was a sweet person and Ema had vowed long ago to never leave his side. He was her little brother, her colleague, and her friend—she'd be there when he falls.

While this situation was not unusual, —for Tsuna anyway; Ema could spend hours re-counting the times he'd take a patient not under his jurisdiction and picking fights with doctors in the other departments—they were in Japan. This was a land with a very different culture and customs. She wasn't too familiar with the healthcare here; she heard things here and there but couldn't believe them until she saw them for herself.

She glanced at Tsuna and he nodded. They would tread lightly—well, Ema would anyways. She had a feeling that she'll probably have to reign in Tsuna sooner than later.

"So," Dr. Kurokawa said, sitting down at his desk, "Seto-san informed me of what happened after my operation."

"I told him to stop," Dr. Ishida said, glowering. He reminded Ema of a sewer rat. "He has no jurisdiction here, no license, no reason to do what he did."

"With all due respect, I had a reason to, Ishida-sensei," Tsuna said tersely. "She was _dying_."

"I respect your moral judgement, Satou-san," Dr. Kurokawa said, clasping his hands together. "However, there are rules and protocols in this hospital. While I can excuse you for your lack of knowledge, the committee will certainly hear about this and request for your presence." He looked at Dr. Ishida. "That trainee—please teach him more properly about the hospital's procedures. While I understand that his rushed judgement was out of compassion, thinking irrationally like that will make things more difficult in the future."

"And the paramedics," Dr. Ishida hissed. "One of them physically assaulted me."

Dr. Kurokawa pursed his lips. "You can discuss that with their supervisor, Ishida-sensei." He looked at Tsuna with a mixed expression, obviously uncertain on handling the situation. "Satou-san, I'm happy that you were able to save the patient, but that's not how the board will see it."

"I understand, Kurokawa-sensei," Tsuna said calmly. "I can fully acknowledge that what I did was unwelcomed and I'm sorry for that; but I'm not sorry for saving the patient."

"We made it very clear that she should have been transported elsewhere," Dr. Ishida said.

"With all due respect, Ishida-sensei, she would've died," Ema said, speaking up for the first time. "The time it'd take for her to be transported somewhere else would—"

Dr. Ishida looked at her disdainfully. "From what I know, you're only a nurse. You have no say in the—"

"I recommend that you don't finish that sentence, Ishida-sensei," Tsuna said, his eyes hardening. "Ema is my RN first assistant and respected in Germany. Whatever you have to say it to her, you can say it to my face."

"This isn't Germany, Satou-san," Dr. Kurokawa said, interrupting Dr. Ishida. "This is Japan. While you're here, please respect our procedures. I don't want you to get into any more serious trouble as it is."

"I'm sorry if what we did offended you," Tsuna said. "But we're _not_ sorry for saving that patient's life. It was just a matter of circumstance."

The desk phone started to ring before Dr. Kurokawa picked it up. "Hello, Kurokawa speaking."

He frowned, glancing at the other occupants in the room, while he nodded. "Yes, we'll be there. Yes. Yes. I will see you then, Azuma-sensei." He hung up promptly and stood up. "I didn't expect them to hear of this so quickly. The board wants to see you both."

"Joy," Tsuna muttered.

Ema faintly snorted.

* * *

 **Medical Terms:**

 **OR (Operating Room) – a facility equipped for performing surgery**

 **ER (Emergency Room) – a hospital room or area staffed and equipped for the reception and treatment of persons requiring immediate medical care (ex. possible broken limbs, loss of consciousness, fainting, signs of a heart attack, signs of a stroke, severe stomach pains, shortness of breath, severe diarrhea or vomiting, burns)**

 **Trauma Center – a hospital unit specializing in the treatment of patients with acute and especially life-threatening traumatic injuries (ex. traumatic car crash injuries, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, major burns, serious falls, blunt trauma, traumatic brain injuries)**

 **ICU (Intensive Care Unit) - a designated area of a hospital facility that is dedicated to the care of patients who are seriously ill**

 **Intubation – to insert a breathing tube into the trachea for mechanical ventilation; a life-saving measure for a patient who is not breathing adequately so that the lungs can be ventilated**

 **Anesthesia – a state of temporary induced loss of sensation or awareness**

 **GSW – a slang for "gunshot wound"**

 **IVC (Inferior Vena Cava) – the largest vein in the human body; collects blood from veins serving the tissues inferior to the heart and returns this blood to the right atrium of the heart**

 **CT Scan (or CAT scans) – special X-ray tests that produce cross-sectional images of the body using X-rays and a computer; allows the doctor to look at the inside of the body; frequently used to evaluate the brain, neck, spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and sinuses**

 **Ultrasound – an imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures within your body**

 **FAST scan (Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma) – a rapid bedside ultrasound examination performed as a screening test for blood around the heart or abdominal organs after trauma**

 **RN first assistant (Registered Nurse First Assistant) – an OR nurse that assists the surgeon during a surgical procedure; generally controls bleeding, suture incisions and intervene during complications; may also care for patients before and after surgery**

 **Suture – a stitch or series of stitches to secure apposition of the edges of a surgical or traumatic wound; material used in closing a wound with stitches**

 **Silk – a braided fine suture material, usually used to close incisions, wounds, and cuts in the skin; not absorbed by the body and is removed after approximately 7 days**

 **Aorta – the largest artery in the body; begins at the left ventricle of the heart and extends down to the abdomen; distributed oxygenated blood to all parts of the body through the systemic circulation**

 **Pringle Maneuver – a surgical maneuver where the surgeon clamd the hepatoduodenal ligament to interrupt the blood flow through the hepatic artery and the portal vein, thus helping to control the bleeding from the liver; if the bleeding continues, it is likely that the inferior vena cava or the hepatic vein were also traumatized**

 **Balloon catheter – a catheter with an inflatable tip which can be expanded specially to hold the catheter in place or to expand a partly closed or obstructed bodily passage, opening, or vessel**

 **Hepatoduodenal ligament – the portion of the lesser omentum extending between the porta hepatis of the liver and the superior part of the duodenum; contains the hepatic artery proper, portal vein, and common bile duct**

 **Portal vein – a blood vessel that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen to the liver; the blood is nutrient-rich from food and the liver processes them; also filters toxins that may have been ingested with the food**

 **Atriocaval shunt – connecting the IVC and the right atrium, a method of creating a shortcut for the blood flow as an emergency bypass procedure when blood flow is compromised due to damage**

 **Translation:**

 _ **Gut gemacht**_ **– "good job" in German**

* * *

 **A/N Ahaha, and there goes another cliffhanger! Thanks for reading!**

 **I should've done this in the last chapter by the way. Above is some medical terminology used in the chatper! It's also best to note the difference between the ER and a Trauma Center. You can probably guess where I'm going with this for Tsuna ;)**

 **I may or may not have accurately portrayed the surgical operation so please don't take my word for it. Also, I may not have applied the procedures correctly either, hehe. Other than that, let me know if there's anything wrong and if you want me to keep writing these operations in future chapters.** **With that aside, I'll try to accurately portray the Japanese healthcare system as much as I can. Using Ema is a good way to see some contrast, I think.**

 **On another note, I thought about writing another story but can't decide if I want to do a KHRxPercyJackson crossover or a KHRxHaikyuu! one (there's so little in this category but I just love them both!). Let me know what you guys think!**

 **Thank you so much for reading! Drop a question or two and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.**

 **See you in the next chapter, peeps! Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons is purely coincidental.**

* * *

" _The whole world can become the enemy when you lose what you love."_ —Kristina McMorris

* * *

The meeting room was in the hospital's top floor, located at the center of the hallway. Several department professors were already inside and seated, chattering about Kami knows what. Tsuna didn't bother with the trivialities though. If Endo-sensei were here, he'd probably castrate him for causing more trouble than what he was worth.

Though Tsuna didn't learn for too long in Japan—Endo-sensei had been very strict about it, ranting something about conformities and a broken system—he wasn't a stranger to their unspoken traditions. He was Japanese in blood and had grown up within their customs. He had seen first-hand how the ones in power profited from the suffering of the weak, not only in Japan but also in other countries.

When the four of them entered, silence hushed over the occupants in the room, all eyes turned on him. Tsuna didn't squirm under the attention. He merely took it all in stride, feeling even better with Ema by his side. Her calming presence was comforting in situations like these.

The professors were all older men apart from two women seated in the back, which was a nice surprise. Women rarely held onto most medical or hospital positions for long, expected to focus on their marriage and children in the long-run; often, they married doctors instead. Kudos to them, he thought.

"Kurokawa-sensei," one of the professors said, standing up from his seat, "it's nice to finally meet you."

He looked like he was probably in his mid-thirties, with neat black hair parted to the side and dark brown eyes. Tsuna instantly grew wary of him.

Kurokawa-sensei didn't look pleased to see him either if his slight frown was any indication. "Fujiwara-sensei, I didn't expect you to be here so soon."

Before the young man could respond, another man interrupted, "Save the pleasantries for later, Kurokawa. Fujiwara requested to be here to observe our hospital operations."

"But what about Endo-sensei, Chairman?"

The air instantly soured. The chairman regarded Kurokawa-sensei with cold eyes. "There is no chance of saving him," he said calmly. "Besides, Fujiwara has already been selected to replace him."

Ema gripped Tsuna's shoulder and shook her head before he could say a word. He grudgingly obeyed to her silent command, but his stomach was already churning.

Kurokawa widened his eyes. "I'm sorry? But that vote isn't until two weeks, Chairman! Why wasn't I informed?"

"It's best to keep quiet, Kurokawa. You've already tested my patience more than once since you've worked here"—the chairman glanced at Tsuna and Ema— "and now _this_ happened."

Tsuna stared back at him, stunning most of the professors in the room. His boldness was quite the shock to their traditional core.

"You must be Satou Tsunayoshi," the chairman said, keeping a calm face. "And she is—"

Ema bowed, acting as the diplomat of the two. "My name is Ema Holst. It is a pleasure to meet you, Chairman Gima."

Whispers erupted in the room. Tsuna resisted the urge to smirk. He hoped none of them knew German. Ah, the joys and power of language.

"I didn't expect you to be familiar with Japanese," Chairman Gima said, his brows furrowed. "You're from Germany, yes?"

"Yes," Ema said. "I've worked in Berlin and Munich as an operating nurse for a couple of years."

"You're a nurse," one professor said, sniffing haughtily, "and yet we heard that you assisted in the surgery? Is that true, Ishida-sensei?"

Ishida-sensei slightly grimaced. "I wasn't there to witness the surgery myself, Minami-sensei. I was already preoccupied with some… _disturbances_ in the waiting room."

The chairman looked over Ema briefly, a faint condescension reflected his sharp eyes. "You're a nurse who assisted in the surgery. Why aren't you a surgeon instead? Surely it is a much more esteemed position in the field."

"I am an _operating_ nurse, Chairman Gima," Ema said firmly. "My duty is helping the surgeon to the best of my capabilities in the OR. I understand that that's not a familiar concept here in Japan, but I respectfully request that you don't look down on nurses. It's a very respected position in other countries. Doctors would be lost without them."

Tsuna would've burst out laughing if he didn't have any self-preservation. He did smile though, which instantly hit a nerve among the professors. Their glares had no effect on him, however. He was all-too familiar with the look and grew immune to it over the years.

"Satou-san," Chairman Gima said, "this may be fun for you but this is _not_ Germany. This is Japan, where we have our own procedures and principles. You have no medical license here nor do you work for this hospital."

"I understand that, Chairman," Tsuna said. "And I'm sorry for any disrespect but I will say this again: we are not sorry for saving the patient's life."

"You put the hospital's reputation at stake," a professor exclaimed. "It will take a matter of time before everyone hears of this incident."

"Which is why"—Tsuna gestured towards Ishida-sensei—"you can give him the credit for the operation."

Stunned silence hung over everyone's head. Kurokawa-sensei openly gaped at him. "Satou-san, that is—"

"Acceptable," Chairman Gima said, clasping his hands together. "However, the public will doubt our legitimacy. Our reputation as a university hospital is revered by the residents, but your reputation precedes us, Satou. Additionally, the hospital and Namimori have rarely witnessed such an incident, thanks to our… _unconventional_ security measures."

Tsuna resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Though he couldn't deny the truth of it, university hospitals were practically the go-to for many citizens in Namimori and other Japanese cities and towns, which also makes it convenient for them to milk their reputation for what it was worth. Not all of them were like that, but nearly everyone conformed to the set system. No wonder Endo-sensei was hell-bent on reformation.

He shrugged instead. "I can't necessarily blame you for not having the proper resources or a shortage of doctors, but fair point. I just don't want any trouble."

"You've already caused enough trouble," a professor muttered nearby.

Was their reputation worth more than a patient's life? Tsuna didn't want to entertain that thought further. He'd seen his fair share of corrupt hospitals and wasn't willing to waste his energy on the topic. Nothing good would come out of it for him.

"Well," Fujiwara said, "we could always tell them that Satou-san is our doctor." He raised his hand to silence the room. Tsuna wouldn't admit how impressed he was at the other man's natural charisma. "Taking him as one of our own would certainly put their attention elsewhere other than the unauthorized surgery. Besides"—his eyes crinkled when he smiled—"Satou-san's reputation is quite influential as it is."

Tsuna internally groaned. Kami, he regretted ever coming back to Namimori. Why did these things keep happening to him? Oh, right—because of his stupidly righteous heart (and insensitive mouth).

"I have no intentions of working here," Tsuna said bluntly. "Besides, I'm still a student."

Fujiwara tilted his head, his annoying smile still in place. "Oh, but I remember hearing that you've just recently received a license in Germany. That won't be a problem here. All you have to do is apply for the national exam and you'll be able to work comfortably without any suspicions." Fujiwara regarded Tsuna with an almost impish look in his eyes. "I'm sure you'd pass with flying colors, Satou-san."

Okay, who the fuck was this guy? Sure, Tsuna knew that he was pretty popular in Namimori, but Fujiwara seemed like an outsider, more of a city boy. There was a sophisticated air about him, much like people in Kyoto, despite his playful appearance but Tsuna didn't like stereotyping (even though he unconsciously did so most of the time—sue him). The thought of Fujiwara being a closeted fanboy made Tsuna's skin crawl. Shinzo was fine— despite his casual front, he was cute when he became flustered around the brunet—but Fujiwara was someone Tsuna needed to handle carefully. People like him were unpredictable.

"You seem to know your stuff," he said dryly.

Fujiwara smiled even wider. "Of course. I'm a big fan, Satou-san."

Tsuna briefly malfunctioned at that tidbit.

"Fujiwara's idea is appealing," Chairman Gima said slowly, breaking the tense silence, "but you're Endo's student, no?"

He spat his sensei's name out with such contempt, Tsuna was amazed at how he wasn't even trying to hide it. Huh, talk about really bad rep, sensei, he thought.

"Yes, I originally came to Namimori to see him," he said. "I only heard about his illness a few days ago."

"Working in the hospital your teacher taught in," Fujiwara said. "It's the perfect cover story, right, Chairman?"

Tsuna's eye slightly twitched. "With all due respect, there's no _need_ to go this far. Ishida-sensei can take the credit and no one will know if you tell the right people to keep their mouths shut."

"It'd be nice to have another talented surgeon under the hospital's disposal," Fujiwara continued, as if he didn't hear what Tsuna said much to the brunet's chagrin. "Having Satou-san could prove to be valuable in the long-run."

"Yes, but"—the chairman glanced at Kurokawa-sensei and one of the women professors—"there are boundaries I would not cross."

"I assure you that the benefits outweigh the cons, Chairman," Fujiwara said calmly. "Satou-san has quite the experience from learning abroad. He has—"

"I will not be used as a political pawn for something so trivial," Tsuna snapped before Ema could stop him. "You can _shove_ it, Fujiwara. Just take the credit and leave us alone. Problem solved. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make me regret treating the patient."

Chairman Gima narrowed his eyes. "You're walking on a very thin line, Satou-san. I suggest that you don't berate Fujiwara in such an uncouth manner. You're the ones on trial here."

Before Tsuna could retort, Ema quickly stepped in. "I apologize for Tsuna's behavior, Chairman Gima. Tsuna tends to be tense after his operations."

"Excuse me?" Tsuna said, cocking an eyebrow.

Fujiwara laughed. "Usually it'd be the opposite. I imagined you'd be more relaxed after saving a patient's life, Satou-san." He leaned forward. "And how _did_ you save the patient? Surely Ishida-sensei wouldn't have been able to do it—he _did_ refuse the patient after all."

"The surgeons on-call were not available, Fujiwara-sensei," Ishida-sensei said with a sneer. "And it was the trainee's fault for accepting the patient."

"Aren't you a surgeon, too, Ishida-sensei?" Fujiwara said innocently. "You could've taken her in."

Tsuna blinked. "He is?" He looked at Ishida-sensei with narrowed eyes. "Are you? You said that _all_ surgeons were unavailable."

"I had my own operation to work on," Ishida-sensei said quickly.

"But…you're here."

"That's none of your business, Satou."

"You could've treated the patient. You could've taken her in."

"We didn't have the necessary resources to treat her properly."

Tsuna became more and more incredulous by the second. "I did fine with a CT scan and an ultrasound. You also could've called a trauma surgeon in a different city for guidance if you had to. If you'd asked nicely, even _I_ would've advised you."

"It's a matter of skills, Satou-san," Fujiwara interjected. "We don't have any surgeons here who specialize in trauma from what I know, and Japan doesn't have many trauma centers. I can count how many with only one hand. Usually the ER handles the trauma cases that come in, but are mostly poorly-equipped or understaffed. It's also more prevalent in Namimori, which is a rather small town."

Tsuna pursed his lips. Though he couldn't wrap his head around it, he had to _try_ to understand it from their perspective. It wasn't going so well. "Still, it's not embarrassing to ask for another doctor's opinion or advice. Your limited resources may be a liability but then that'd apply to other Namimori hospitals."

"That can be how the west sees it, Satou-san," Fujiwara said. "Japan follows the same protocols, too."

"Fujiwara," Chairman Gima said warningly.

The younger man just brushed him off, which just piqued Tsuna's curiosity even more. How close was he to the chairman? Throughout the whole meeting, he didn't take shit from the elderly man, simply talking as if no one else was here. He encompassed the whole room with his presence. Tsuna didn't know whether to grudgingly respect that or dislike him more—he settled for the latter since he was petty like that.

"In the Japanese Medical Practitioners Law," Fujiwara said, "Article 19 states that doctors can't refuse to care for patients if requested. _But_ "—his lips curved up into a pleasant smile—"there is no punishment if this law is violated."

Tsuna stared at him for a good moment. He could tell Ema had the same reaction. A mixture of anger and frustration on the professors' faces was enough to confirm that tidbit of information, thought they were mostly directed at Fujiwara and not the issue brought up. No punishment if the law was violated? That was just… _appalling_. In America, there was the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) that could punish hospitals if a patient is declined at an emergency department for screening and stabilization. Sure, it remained an unfunded mandate and the burden of uncompensated care closed many emergency departments, but it managed to acknowledge the value of a patient's life, so that's one step in the right direction. However, Tsuna wasn't in America, he was in Japan.

"In 2009, a 69-year-old man collided with a motorcycle in Hyogo Prefecture," Fujiwara continued. "The rescue workers tried to find a hospital for an hour. Fourteen in Hyogo and Osaka prefectures rejected him. He was too unstable by the time one accepted him and died at the Itami hospital from hemorrhagic shock three hours after the accident. It's not uncommon for critical patients to not receive treatment in time, Satou-san. The reasons are mostly common: lack of resources and beds or no available specialists to treat them."

"Fujiwara, that's enough!" Chairman Gima said.

"It's only the truth, Chairman. I apologize if I touched on some nerves, but, Satou-san, tell me"—Fujiwara's eyes gleamed. It was a familiar expression. The brunet looked the same whenever witnessing or operating a surgery—"how did you save the patient?"

Tsuna regarded him warily. "She was a 44-year-old female with a single GSW to the abdomen. Pulse was at 130 and blood pressure at 60. I requested eight units of blood, typed and crossed, a CT scan, and an ultrasound. I had to do an open-abdominal surgery because the bullet pierced the IVC behind her liver."

Skeptical whispers rose in the room before Chairman Gima silenced everyone with a glare. Tsuna resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. Fujiwara, Kurokawa-sensei, and one of the women professors seemed to be the only ones interested in what he was saying—the others just looked more dubious by the second.

"It was a miracle she was still alive from the amount of blood loss. There was so much that we couldn't see the organs. If the initial first-aid treatment had been more efficient and substantial, her condition wouldn't have deteriorated when she reached the hospital. Plus"—he glanced at Ishida-sensei meaningfully—" _time_ is _essential_ in emergency situations. Ema was able to remove the bullet, which just missed the aorta, and recommended using the Pringle Maneuver to get the bleeding under control."

"The Pringle Maneuver?" a professor said, his eyes wide. "How could someone like you carry out such a difficult procedure?"

"And your nurse suggested it?" another said in disbelief. "That's outrageous."

"Alright, Ema is my RN first assistant," Tsuna said firmly. "I understand you don't have anything like that here in Japan, but I'd appreciate that you treat her with some respect. She deserves it. She assists with all my operations and I completely trust her judgement. Without her, my job doesn't get any easier."

Still, the professors grumbled amongst themselves. Tsuna looked helplessly at Ema who only shook her head and patted his back comfortingly. She was grateful for his support but she had nothing to prove to anyone here.

"Were you able to perform the procedure?" Fujiwara asked.

"Yes," Tsuna said. "It was a success. We managed to get the bleeding under control but there was another area of damage that was unaccounted for. Ema was able to identify and close the wound before the patient's vitals deteriorated."

Another string of incredulous mutters and whispers scattered across the room. Tsuna fought the urge to just snap at them. This was why he needed Ema—if he had met her earlier in his life, the damage costs he incurred would've been reduced by more than half.

"Even with your nurse's skills—And I do believe your nurse is competent enough if she's able to work with you, Satou-san—time is an issue that all surgeons face during emergency procedures." Fujiwara leaned his chin onto his palm, looking like a cat observing its prey. "Surely it would've taken a few minutes for her to locate the source."

"Yes," Ema responded, drawing all eyes on her. "Because of the amount of blood in the patient's abdomen, it was difficult to quickly locate the damaged area. It took me two or three minutes to find it. Since the patient didn't fully stop bleeding, Tsuna performed an atriocaval shunt to buy me time and manage the hemorrhage."

"An _atriocaval shunt_?" Kurokawa-sensei said, his eyes wide. "It's dangerous to perform such a risky procedure! The patient could've died."

"I did everything I had to do to save the patient," Tsuna said. "She's currently recovering in the ICU."

"The board will continue to discuss this matter," Chairman Gima said briefly. "We will call you in again when a decision is made."

Tsuna raised a brow but didn't comment on it. He felt more like he was kicked out as soon as he and Ema left the room. Ishida-sensei just glared at them before leaving for somewhere else.

"Well," he said slowly, "that was…okay, I guess."

"I don't know what they're thinking, especially that Fujiwara man," Ema said, glancing at the closed doors warily. "Whatever happens, I'll stay by your side, Tsuna

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "I don't think I'd consider him dangerous, but I'd be careful around him. I'll look him up later."

"You should tell your mother how everything is first. She must be very worried about you."

Tsuna winced. "Good idea. I'll send her a text." He plopped down on one of the lobby chairs, sighing loudly. "Now, we wait."

Kami, why couldn't they just take the damn credit?

* * *

"He's wild," Professor Kobayashi of the Oncology Department said. "We won't be able to keep him under control. Any one of Endo-sensei's students is unreliable."

Fujiwara just continued to smile pleasantly amidst the muttered assents between the other professors. They were all the same, he thought. Greedy and self-serving parasites—Fujiwara despised them all. Though Kurokawa-sensei and a few others were less than so, they only protected themselves in the face of danger. He thought that Kurokawa-sensei would have some spirit, considering he was one of Endo-sensei's students, but he was disappointing. He didn't know what Endo-sensei saw in the sentimental man.

His mind continued to reel at the information Satou gave him. The Pringle Maneuver and an atriocaval shunt—just _fascinating_. He had his eyes on Satou ever since he made a small name for himself in Namimori, even tracking everything the younger man did abroad. His obsession paid off—Fujiwara was considered one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in Japan despite his young age.

At first, he was envious when Endo-sensei took Satou under his wing. It was such a high honor to be taught by the short-tempered surgeon, who only sought for the best of the best. But Fujiwara soon deemed Satou a suitable and competent rival, a means to push himself to the brink of perfection, and he was forever grateful for the other in that regard.

Fujiwara had been ruthless in his ambitions—he'd blackmail professors in Kyoto's hospitals to let him perform surgeries no residents could even set their eyes on. It was a pity, he thought. Only empty souls plagued what was considered an attractive field. Satou-san was just a pleasant flicker of life among the masses.

Which was why he had asked to get transferred to Namimori University Hospital. It was unremarkable—he did like that sushi restaurant in town though—and he wanted to see how Endo-sensei had promised to reform it. He was sorely disappointed. It was also a pity the man was dying as well. He'd gone through all that blackmail on Chairman Gima for nothing and was even considering returning to Kyoto, much to the other man's relief, until Satou-san came.

It was a delightful turn of events. Now, he had a good reason to stay.

"Well, you can see that Satou-san has skills and experience that will benefit the hospital," Fujiwara said, silencing everyone in the room.

Professor Minami of the Neurology Department scoffed. "We didn't _see_ anything, Fujiwara-san. For all we know, he could be lying."

Fujiwara resisted the urge to roll his eyes. College drama classes were quite useful. "I'm sure you record all the operations here. You can watch it later when time permits. Moving on to more useful things on the agenda, I recommend Satou-san be hired to work here. I highly doubt you want another PR nightmare, Chairman. The patient was Hibari Sachiko, yes?" He smiled at the chairman's scowl. "The public admires the Hibari Clan as much as they fear them. If you make a whole issue out of Satou-san's benevolent act, the so-called protocols are the least of your worries."

Chairman Gima barely contemplated on the idea. He knew what would happen if he didn't oblige Fujiwara's requests, though he was at least smart enough not to give in all the way.

"If we hire Satou," Chairman Gima said slowly, his voice rising above the protests, "then he should be assigned to a suitable department." He glanced at Kurokawa-sensei warily. "I don't trust him to be under your supervision, Kurokawa."

"If I recall, Satou-san specializes in trauma," Professor Ikeda of the Pediatrics Department said. She was one of the women professors in the hospital and another of Endo-sensei's students. She was just slightly better than Kurokawa-sensei. "Wouldn't he be more suitable to the ER?"

"I refuse to have him in my department regardless," Professor Minami said harshly. "And I refuse to have him work in the hospital altogether."

That was fine, Fujiwara thought. It was majority vote either way. He could sense the other professors' gears turning. While they were ultimately more concerned about themselves, the hospital was their first defense and if it went down, they would all go down.

"Ikeda-sensei is right," Kurokawa-sensei said slowly. "Satou-san's skills are more suitable to the ER and more beneficial to my department."

"Also, consider our location," Professor Shiroma of the Geriatrics Department said. "Namimori is in the Nara Prefecture and very close to Kyoto and Osaka. As Fujiwara-sensei said before, Japan does not have many trauma centers. Having Satou-san under our hospital's disposal will increase traffic for us and open more options for critical patients."

"We don't have enough doctors for that kind of large-scale commitment," Professor Kobayashi retorted. "Our resources are insufficient and will bring only more trouble to the hospital."

"It should never be a trouble to treat patients," Kurokawa-sensei said. "Though, I don't fully disagree with Kobayashi-sensei. Satou-san is only one person and our resources may not suit his needs. Plus, consider the fact that he doesn't have a medical license here yet. He can only function as a resident at best, not a primary surgeon. He's technically still a student."

"We'll have to hire more doctors and residents to meet the demands," Professor Minami said distastefully. "It'll be difficult when our residency program is not as popular as the bigger cities."

"Then set up an efficient training program," Fujiwara said. "As Kobayashi-sensei said, Namimori is the ideal checkpoint between Kyoto and Osaka. Even if we can't fully handle the critical patients, we can always stabilize them enough to transfer them to other hospitals. These are all benefits in the long-run."

"All this because of a foolish interference," Professor Minami muttered. "That Satou will bring nothing but trouble."

Fujiwara smiled. Satou-san was proving to be more valuable than he thought. Though Fujiwara was ambitious, that didn't mean he was completely heartless. He was just political.

"Creating a new trauma center will certainly bring attention to this hospital," he said. "But not the kind we can handle now. We should consider it later after Satou-san gains his license."

"While I understand this is to not gain the public's ire," Professor Uyemura of the Critical Care Department drawled, "we don't have to go so far as to _hire_ the boy." She was the other woman professor in the hospital and a stark contrast to Professor Ikeda's demurer façade. "This whole mess for one unauthorized surgery is unnecessary. It will only show our incompetence."

"There were also two other patients behind Hibari-san," Fujiwara said. "Imagine how much worse it would look if word got out that we rejected not one but two more patients."

"Hibari Sachiko is the more important one," Professor Minami said. "That won't be too much to handle. Complications in the ambulance, inadequate first-aid treatment—if things become worse, we'll put the paramedics up front and let them explain what happened. The nurses would never say a word."

"Or we can have Ishida-sensei take the actual fall," Professor Shiroma said, narrowing his eyes at Professor Minami. "That could be the easier route."

"It's easier in theory," Kurokawa-sensei said. "The hospital will still be subject to scrutiny for not screening doctors thoroughly enough."

"Why are you so set on having him here anyway, Fujiwara-sensei?" Professor Uyemura said, raising a brow.

Fujiwara smiled pleasantly at the older woman. "Is it wrong for me to be concerned about the hospital's well-being, Uyemura-sensei? I only want what's best for it."

The woman didn't hide her suspicious gaze, but didn't respond.

"Satou-san should be given a choice in the matter," Professor Ikeda said. "He doesn't know how our system works."

"Then he'll just have to learn," Chairman Gima said gruffly, his body tense.

So many scandals and cover-ups for such an insignificantly small hospital, Fujiwara thought amusedly. The chairman's body slightly sagged in defeat, as if he knew what the other was thinking.

"He will only be a resident," he said slowly. "But if he causes any trouble, then I won't hesitate to get rid of him or _you_ , Kurokawa. Those against it?"

Professor Minami instantly raised his hand along with a couple of other professors.

"Those in favor?"

Fujiwara smiled. Majority won.

"Now," he said, standing up, "I'll relay the good news. I look forward to working with you from now on. It was a pleasure meeting you all. Thank you, Chairman. I'll keep in touch soon."

With that, he left the room with such grace and poise, he could practically _feel_ the professors' seething thoughts burning on his back.

He'd never felt so satisfied. Namimori became so much more interesting, and he had Satou-san to thank again for that.

* * *

Today was a bizarre day, Tsuna thought, scrolling through his laptop.

His mother was more than welcoming when he asked her if Ema could stay with them. She even threw a big feast for them, joking about their successful, unauthorized surgery in good humor. Tsuna only smiled for her sake while Ema made polite conversation.

After dinner was over, Nana left to help Ema get settled in the guest room and Tsuna went to his room to research Fujiwara. The other doctor had an impressive resume. Fujiwara Kuro: top of his class in the Graduate School of Medicine of Kyoto University, performed numerous successful heart surgeries even though he was just a resident prior, and considered one of the promising surgeons of his generation. Why he would transfer to somewhere like Namimori was beyond him.

A knock came from his door before his mother poked her head inside his room. "Tsuna, are you okay?"

He looked up from his laptop and smiled. "I'm fine, Mama. How's Ema settling in?"

Nana grinned. "She's doing fine." A gleam shone in her eyes. "She's pretty, too. My son has skills."

Tsuna widened his eyes. "Mama! Ema's just a friend! How many times do I have to say this? Guys and girls can just be friends without being romantically affiliated!"

Nana rolled her eyes. "I was just messing with you, Tsuna." She closed the door behind her and sat down on Tsuna's bed, wrinkling her nose at how messy the sheets were. "I'll have to wash these tomorrow. How are you holding up?"

Tsuna sighed and turned to face her. "I don't know. I obviously don't want to do this but do I have a choice?" He groaned. "You know, this might be the first time in my life I regret saving a patient's life. Actually, I regret coming back to Namimori. Maybe Endo-sensei was right. I should've just gone back to Berlin."

"You don't mean that," Nana said gently. "I'm sorry that things turned out the way it did. I wish there was more I could do to make this better for you, Tsuna." She frowned. "I know they said it was a temporary measure until the public calms down, but I can't predict how the board will follow through. Fujiwara must be a strong figure to have so much say in their decision."

Tsuna leaned his head on her shoulder and relaxed when she soothingly rubbed his back. "Yeah, he's a handful. I don't know. I guess, I'll just go through with it for now." He chuckled bitterly. "Kami, I'm actually wishing for the old man to die faster."

Nana hummed to herself. "Don't worry, Tsuna. Everything will be okay. I'll be here for you if you ever need anything." Her eyes dropped as her smiled wavered. "Your father would've been very proud if he saw you now."

His father… He was the kindest and bravest person Tsuna knew. He'd never forget how his father would take him out to the park after his shifts, sneak him some ice cream late at night when his mother wasn't looking, hug him so tight to help him fend off the vivid nightmares…

It felt unreal to have his father taken away from them so quickly. They never got the chance to say goodbye…

Tsuna smiled sadly. "Yeah… Thank you, Mama."

Nana pinched his cheek, chuckling. "Of course. Anything for my little boy."

"I'm twenty-years-old."

"I'm sorry but last I checked you're still my son therefore my little boy."

Tsuna huffed. "Fine, yeah, whatever. You win, Mama."

Nana laughed, hugging him close. "Oh, when did my little boy grow up so much? It seems like just yesterday you were this small."

Tsuna couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to his mother to chase away all his fears. She seemed to know how to make him feel better no matter what. One of many talents mothers had.

"How long do they have to stay around?" Nana said quietly, glancing at his curtained window.

Tsuna pulled away, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I don't know. Nobu-san's pretty stubborn about the extra security. They haven't found who shot Hibari-san yet and he doesn't want to risk anything." A certain prefect's furious face came to mind. Just imagining the kid's sheer intensity made Tsuna physically wince. "By the way, Mama, do you recognize that kid?"

"Hmm, Hibari Kyoya, you mean?" Nana tilted her head. "Well, everyone knows him. He's Hibari Sachiko's nephew. His parents died in a car accident a few years ago. Poor child. He suffered through such a difficult time. Why?"

Tsuna tapped his chin. "I feel like I've met him before, but I can't place his face for some reason. I'm drawing blanks." He lightly traced the scar over his heart, a faint pain burning in his chest. The phantom sensation never fully disappeared. "It's frustrating… And those men. Kami, if I'd known—"

Nana gently cradled his hand in her warm, calloused hands. "Don't blame yourself, Tsuna. It wasn't your fault. You shouldn't take all that burden for yourself. It won't do you any good. I'll be here for you, always. Never forget that. I love you so much, Tsuna."

Tsuna smiled. "Thank you, Mama. I love you, too."

Nana kissed his forehead. "You should rest now, Tsuna. You've had a long day. And _don't_ stay up. I won't hesitate to throw that laptop out the window."

Tsuna gasped scandalously. "You wouldn't."

Nana smirked. "Oh, don't test me." She stood up, ruffling his hair. "Good night, Tsuna. Sleep well."

Tsuna closed his laptop. "Good night, Mama."

"I'll be down the hall if you need anything."

"Yeah, thanks."

When she left, Tsuna stretched his arms in the air, cracking his neck, and yawned. He should probably sleep. His first day of his apparently new job would be tomorrow. He was supposed to report to the ER but was just too tired to think about it anymore. Tomorrow was a new day. Fresh start. Yay.

He drew back his blue curtains and peeked out the window. The streets were illuminated by streetlights and empty aside from a few cars parked strategically across his home. Well, he couldn't say no to Nobu-san or Hibari and he did appreciate the protection—they still hadn't identified the perpetrators yet but he wouldn't be surprised if they found them by tomorrow. The teen was pretty efficient in what he was doing, but he had to get that anger in check before he got himself killed.

Tsuna closed the curtains, yawning again, before shutting off the lights and plopping down on his bed. As soon as his head hit the pillows, deep fatigue lulled him to sleep.

* * *

"Where do you want to go, Kyo-chan?" a bright voice said.

"I thought we decided to go to the park," a man said pointedly.

Tsuna blinked, trying to register his surroundings. A man was driving the car and a woman sat next to him in the passenger seat. Okaa-san and Otou-san, his host mind supplied.

"The zoo," he said.

His voice was quiet and deep but he was definitely in the body of a child.

The woman—the child's mother—beamed. "Of course! What do you want to see first, Kyo-chan? The lions? Tigers? Bears?"

"Suzu-chan, relax," the man said. "Don't overwhelm him."

The mother pouted. "I'm not overwhelming him. I'm giving him _choices_ , right, Kyo-chan? Besides, you coddle him too much, Motsu-kun."

"What? No, I don't!"

Tsuna could feel himself rolling his eyes. Their arguments were childish for adults their age but there was a small fondness blooming in his small chest.

"Rabbits," he said.

"Eh, rabbits?" the mother said. "Not lions?"

He scowled. "I want to see the rabbits."

"Yeah, we will, Kyo-kun," the father said gently. "Don't worry about what Okaa-san said."

"See, you coddle him."

"Kami, just leave it alone, Suzu-chan."

Tsuna looked out the window—or rather the child he was in looked out the window. He recognized the buildings. Some of the stores and restaurants were still in business today in Namimori. They were heading to an emptier street and suddenly, his guts clenched. A feeling of impending doom loomed over his head.

"Hmm, what should get for lunch?" the mother said.

"Will we have time?" the father said worriedly. "I don't want you to miss your meeting."

"I'm _not_ missing Kyo-chan's birthday. Besides, the Yamanakas are an old ally. Jun will understand."

"Well, it's nice that I finally got to drive for once. It's been years. I still miss my old car though."

The mother snickered. "Yeah, it took a while to convince Okaa-san but as long as my men are with us, she'll leave us alone. You're welcome."

"Yes, yes, thank you. I appr—"

" _Motsu-kun!_ "

Pain suddenly tore through Tsuna's small body. His world spun in dizzying circles as glass nicked his skin. The car flipped over a few times before skidding harshly on the road. His mother was screaming something, his name.

" _Kyoya!_ "

His eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay conscious. His vision blurred as blood dripped over his eyes.

"O…kaa-san," he whispered.

Every time he blinked, the world slowly distorted in a mess of red, black, and white. The child's mother laid limply on her side, her fingers twitching every few seconds. She still had time, Tsuna thought desperately. She could _live_. He couldn't say the same about the father. The sinking feeling in his stomach grew even worse.

Then, another pain bloomed in his stomach. His conscious snapped out of his stupor. Tsuna looked around, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. He was in an alleyway and sprawled on the floor. His black suit was torn, blood dripping down his leg. When he saw a pair of tonfas strewn across from him, his eyes grew wide in horrifying realization.

Some men around him were talking to him but he couldn't hear what they were saying. Those tonfas… That car accident… This was Hibari Kyoya's memory.

Fuck, Tsuna thought. Not again. Not this.

One of the men easily picked him up by the collar. Before he could say another word, an eerily familiar voice said, "H—Hey! What are you doing?"

Tsuna froze. Kami, no…

In a blur, bright orange flames burst in front of him. He stared, awed and terrified, by the pure, utterly beautiful blaze that embodied the figure in front of him. The other men quickly burned, screaming and writhing in pain, before leaving nothing but ashes behind.

His heart raced against his small chest, blood rushing in his ears. This boy, his mind whispered. No, this _carnivore_ had saved his life, had erupted in _flames_.

When the figure turned around, the flames vanishing as if they were never there, Tsuna could barely breathe. Shadows crept in his vision.

"Are you okay?" his younger voice said, slowly drowning out. "Let me…see your…wounds…"

A searing, hot pain tore through his chest and he couldn't help but scream.

* * *

Tsuna shot up from his bed, heaving in deep gasps, as he grasped his chest in pain. He didn't register someone barging in his room. The door slamming open was only a dull thud in his ears.

These dreams were going to be the absolute death of him. They appeared in much more alarming frequency since he met Verde. When he was younger, they had no meaning to him—he thought they were just terrible dreams. That was until he met Verde and Reborn and the dreams suddenly made sense. They were _memories_.

Ever since that incident in Italy—no, ever since he saved Kyoya from those yakuza men… Flames… Kami, he had erupted in pure _fire_. Why hadn't he burned into crisps? How the hell could his body just produce flames like that? None of those were scientifically possible and that made them even more terrifying.

"Carnivore," the figure said, looking around the room, "you were screaming."

"Tsuna!" his mother shouted, running into the room. Ema wasn't too far behind. "Tsuna, are you okay? I heard you screaming! Kami, you look terrible."

Tsuna looked up at the prefect, ignoring his mother fussing over him. Instead of seeing him as a young teen, he saw Kyoya as the small child he possessed in his dream. His sharp eyes were gray, almost blue. "You… I remember now. I remember you…Kyoya."

The prefect slightly widened his eyes and the small hope behind them made Tsuna feel even worse. He looked down at his hands, feeling a dim surge of unexplainable power surging through his veins. A faint warmth blossomed in his chest, as if the flames he saw in his dreams ignited within himself.

"Tsuna," Ema said gently, rubbing his back, "take a deep breath."

"I think… I think I'm going to be sick."

* * *

 **Medical/Hospital Terminology**

 **ER Department (Head Professor: Kurokawa Shigeru) – deals with patients who have been brought in by an ambulance in an emergency; sometimes patients find their own way to this department in case they have had an accident or seek immediate treatment; works 24/7 and is equipped with all sorts of emergencies**

 **Trauma Center – a hospital unit specializing in the treatment of patients with acute and especially life-threatening traumatic injuries (ex. traumatic car crash injuries, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, major burns, serious falls, blunt trauma, traumatic brain injuries)**

 **Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) – a U.S. federal law that requires anyone coming to an emergency department to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay; enacted in 1986**

 **Oncology Department (Head Professor: Kobayashi) – investigates and treats all kinds of cancers and provides a wide range of chemotherapy treatments and radiotherapy for cancerous tumors and blood disorders**

 **Neurology Department (Head Professor: Minami) – deals with the human nervous system; investigates and treat patients for problems that affect their brain and spinal cord**

 **Pediatrics Department (Head Professor: Ikeda) – provides child and maternity care**

 **Geriatrics Department (Head Professor: Shiroma) – manned with doctors specialized in geriatric care, or elderly care; also provides a range of community services like home visits, mobile therapy units, palliative care, and is often linked to other community centers**

 **Critical Care Department (Head Professor: Uyemura) – also known as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); provides treatment for seriously ill patients**

* * *

 **A/N Well, it feels like the chapters keep getting longer and longer, hehe. I know the story seems pretty slow at the moment but it'll pick up soon! Most of the characters' relationships have been established so far. Our favorite Gokudera will finally be making an appearance, yay!**

 **Also, I just want to clarify that I'm not a doctor nor do I have any medical background. This is a work of fiction, but I try to thoroughly research as much as I can to show a realistic portrayal of the medical world, even though some are open to dramatics. And I may or may not have portrayed the healthcare system and hospital politics properly so please don't take my word for it. There's only so much research articles I can access :^(**

 **Additionally, whatever I write does not mean that it reflects my own personal beliefs and interests. I am only trying to flesh out the characters and their own views to the best of my ability.**

 **On that note, the patient being rejected by 14 hospitals happened in real life. Sadly, it is all too common in Japan. I would definitely recommend reading the article (or articles in this case XD). Send me a PM if you'd like a link or I can post it on my profile!**

 **A bit of shameless advertising here but I'm working on a potential KHRxHaikyuu! crossover so keep an eye out for it!**

 **Thank you for reading, favoriting the story, and leaving reviews, peeps! They keep me going and I'm so happy to see you all enjoy what I'm writing.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	9. Chapter 8

" _If only my heart were as cold as I pretend it is, maybe I could get over this."_ – Jessica Katoff

* * *

School started like any other day, except for the fact that everyone was talking about the shooting yesterday. Yoichi dutifully scribbled notes in his notebook but none of them were processing in his head. He just felt so frustrated and angry—that stupid baby hitman wasn't helping with the unnecessary stress. Emiko glanced at him worriedly from the corner of her eye, but he didn't bother to look up and reassure her.

Ota-sensei's dull voice droned in the background, meshing with the other students' enthusiastic chatter. Yoichi just sighed softly before taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Why couldn't Namimori just stay like it was before? Before he found out that his father was in the fucking mafia? He didn't even care about the man who basically walked out on them. If he thought his family would be convinced with the stupid igloo postcards he sent occasionally, that man was stupider than Yoichi had thought. Vongola Decimo or not—he'd gladly hand it over to Shinzo, who was more than suited for the role.

All he wanted was to live life without any hassles. He wanted to go to high school, graduate college, and go into politics—definitely not mafia material. But all his plans flushed down the drain when Reborn showed up in his home, spouting some nonsense about Vongola and Decimo, and shattering whatever hopes he had in having a normal future. Yoichi tried to convince himself that he was just dreaming and somehow stuck in some bizarre shōnen manga, but Reborn's rubber bullets and ridiculous hammer weren't helping.

"—ent from Italy so make him feel welcomed, alright?" Ota-sensei's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Yoichi looked up and blinked. A new student? Well, that wasn't strange but who would transfer to Namimori of all places? From Italy noneth—Oh… _Oh._ His hands clenched into fists.

The transfer student looked like a delinquent, which was fine to the already squealing fangirls. He had silver hair, which was odd, shaped almost like an octopus and somewhat narrow green eyes. He looked mixed, probably half-Japanese and half-Italian. Rings and wristbands adorned his hands, some carved to look like skulls, and he wasn't wearing his uniform properly. He was lucky that Hibari wasn't in school today. The prefect would "bite him to death".

"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Gokudera-san?" Ota-sensei said. "It's rare for us to have a foreign student join a school like ours. What prompted you to come here?

The boy scowled, as if he had better things to do with his time, before asking, "Where's my seat?"

Ota-sensei blinked, obviously unaccustomed to such a blatant, rude attitude. "Erm, well, you'll be sitting behind Yoichi. He's in the corner over there."

Kami, no. Yoichi warily watched the other boy stroll casually down the aisles; however, when he passed Shinzo, he kicked his desk to the ground, startling everyone in the room.

"Hey, what the hell's your problem?" his brother shouted, standing up from his seat.

"It was in the way," Gokudera said, glaring back.

Yoichi flinched when the boy sauntered to the seat behind him and plopped down in his chair, which scraped noisily against the floor. Class slowly resumed when Shinzo managed to get his desk back into order. His brother continued to send glares at Gokudera's way, promising murder. Occasionally, Gokudera kicked the back of his chair. He didn't move or acknowledge him, praying that school would end already. During one of the class breaks, Gokudera purposely tripped him up, only silently challenging him to fight back. Yoichi, like the coward he was, just continued to ignore him.

He was certain Reborn had something to do with Gokudera's appearance. Who the hell would come to Namimori from Italy anyways? He had never hated the stupid baby hitman more than he did now.

* * *

The Debate Team quickly took advantage of Hibari's absence after school. They gathered in their usual meeting place on the second floor and waited for a few more members to arrive.

"Yo-kun, are you okay?" Emiko said worriedly. "You look really tired."

Yoichi just grunted. His muscles were sore as hell and his legs felt like jelly. How Reborn managed to make him run laps during P.E. he'd never know. He hoped Shinzo was suffering just the same, if not more than he was.

"What happened to you?" Hana said, raising a delicate brow. She crinkled her nose. "You stink, monkey."

"Sorry," Yoichi grumbled, raising his head. "No time to shower."

Not when someone was shooting rubber bullets at your feet. That wasn't training, that was torture. He sighed when the last member walked in. The debate team wasn't the largest club in the school, but there was a decent amount of people. They were mostly the smartest kids in their classes so there wasn't too much drama going on other than some inflated egos.

"Alright," he said once they were all seated. "I don't know when Hibari will be back so I want to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Some of the members grimaced, remembering the times when they were unlucky.

"How's Nishimura-sensei?" Daichi piped up. "Is she okay?"

Emiko grinned. "Yup! Satou-san said that she'll be fine in a few days."

"Satou?" Hana said, her brows furrowing. "That monkey doctor?"

Emiko rolled her eyes. "Satou-san's great, Hana-chan. Really!" She swooned a bit. "He's so cool! And handsome too!"

"Weren't you there yesterday?" Fumiko said, her eyes shining in excitement. "Did you see him when he performed the surgery? Tell us what happened!"

Emiko laughed sheepishly. "Well, we didn't _see_ him perform the surgery."

"We just happened to be there," Yoichi interjected, before Emiko could say anything she'd regret. They'd promised Satou-san and the other doctors to not tell the truth, which was just messed up in his opinion. He scoffed. Private establishments like the hospital would cover up anything scandalous, and this would've clearly tore Namimori apart. "He offered to help one of the doctors there because they were short-staffed."

Makoto whistled. "Damn, that's so cool." He grinned. "Like a hero coming in to save the day! Hey, did you guys read that manga where people had these things called Quirks and—"

"What's he like?" Reiko interrupted, twirling a strand of her glossy black hair. "I heard that he goes through the morgue to experiment on the corpses' organs. He stabbed a pen in Nishimura-sensei's chest, right? Did you also meet the foreigner lady that came with him? Some people are saying she's Hitler's great-great-grandniece."

Yoichi blinked a couple of times, processing what she just said. Hana literally face-palmed. Okay…what?

"Satou-san is one of the nicest people I've ever met!" Emiko said. "And he stabbed the pens in her _sides._ Kami, she'd die from that. Did you listen to the biology lessons at all? Ema-san isn't Hitler's great-great-grandniece. They're not even related. Where the heck did you get that idea?"

"Her last name's not Hitler?" Reiko said, confused.

Emiko let out a shuddering breath, trying to reign in her temper. "It's _Holst_. Her name's Ema _Holst_."

Reiko pursed her lips. "Oh, okay." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure? She could have a different name to prevent any kind of controversy."

Never mind them being the smartest in their classes. They were all idiots.

"Right," Yoichi exclaimed, trying to gain control of the room. "We have a practice match with Midori Middle next Tuesday so—"

"Hey, hey, do you think he'll ever come visit again?" Makoto interrupted. "Wasn't Nezu-sensei his teacher or something? It'd be so cool to see him." He pouted. "I was sick that day. Can't believe I missed it."

Yoichi's brow twitched. Everyone in the room suddenly went quiet when Yoichi looked up and smiled. "If you don't come to Midori Middle by 3:30, I'll personally see to it that you'll become Hibari-san's personal punching bag."

Everyone nodded, their eyes wide. Emiko stifled a giggle and Hana rolled her eyes.

"Great. See you then."

They scrambled for their bags and dashed out of the room within seconds. Fumiko was the only one who waved goodbye.

Emiko sighed. "I'll message them in case."

Hana pursed her lips. "They're impossible."

"Oh, Hana-chan, we saw your father yesterday at the hospital." Emiko smiled. "He seemed very nice."

The other girl packed her bag quietly and slung it over her shoulder. "Thanks." Her voice was a bit tight. She glanced at Yoichi. "Get me the Midori team roster by tonight, monkey. Enjoy your weekend."

Emiko waved. "Oh, bye, Hana-chan! See you Monday!"

After Hana left, Emiko huffed. "She's so mean."

"Just leave her alone," Yoichi said, packing his bag. "I'm going to head home. I'll see you Monday."

Emiko nodded as they closed the door behind him. "Bye, Yo-kun!"

He waved dismissively over his shoulder before heading out of the school gates. Vaguely, he wondered if Reborn was with Shinzo, but he brushed that thought aside. The stress accumulating in his mind was too much and he wasn't willing to malfunction from thinking about the two of them.

Instead of going home, he found himself at Namimori University Hospital, asking to visit his teacher again.

* * *

"Your teacher is showing good signs of recovery," one of the ICU nurses said with a smile. "But I'm afraid she's resting right now. You can come again another time."

Yoichi tried not to let his disappointment show. "Oh, okay. Thank you very much."

"Chino-san, can you get me a report on Hibari-san?" a familiar voice said.

The nurse blushed lightly when Satou-san appeared at the counter. "I'm sorry, Satou-san, but I was strictly informed not to give you that information."

The young doctor didn't even look surprised. He just sighed as if he expected it. "Great. Goddamn assholes are really pushing it."

The nurse flinched at the crude language. "A—Ano, Satou-san, I can…tell you if she's doing fine or not."

"That's useless if I don't have any of her information," Satou-san said, running a hand through his hair. "But I guess that'll do. Tell me."

"There were no signs of any abnormalities the last time she was checked. She's in stable condition."

"Who's her doctor?"

"I can't say."

Satou-san rolled his eyes. "Great." He turned around before realizing Yoichi's presence. "Oh, hey. You're Sawada Yoichi, right?"

The teen blinked, not expecting for the other person to remember him. "Ah, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you again, Satou-san."

He tensed when the doctor patted him on the back.

"Hey, relax. I don't bite." Satou-san grinned, which strangely calmed Yoichi down. The other's presence felt slightly strange compared to yesterday. It was faint for Yoichi, but Satou-san felt…oddly warm. He took a good look at the doctor and felt a bit uneasy at how exhausted he looked.

"Are you okay?" he blurted out. Yoichi slightly winced at how upfront he was.

Satou-san blinked before laughing. "Yeah, I'm fine, kid. I haven't eaten anything all day, except coffee." He pouted. "I wish the hospital had expresso but gotta settle for cheap coffee. Were you here to meet Nishimura-san? I passed by her room a few minutes ago and she was resting. You should come back tomorrow. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

"Yeah," Yoichi said. "I heard."

"Come on," Satou-san said, gesturing towards the elevator. "I'll walk you out. Chino-san, I was never here."

The nurse giggled behind her hand. "Of course, Satou-san."

The pair walked inside the spacious elevator, Yoichi sneaking glances at the young man. Satou-san hummed a small tune to himself as he clicked the button for the first floor.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Yoichi said carefully.

Satou-san raised a brow but his lips twitched into a smile. "Kid, I'm fine. No need to worry about me. How are you holding up?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure it was pretty traumatizing yesterday."

"Oh… I'm just trying not to think about it." Still, at night, he could still see the blood pouring out of Hibari-san's wound and Irie-san's hand trying to stop the bleeding. He shuddered, feeling a bit queasy. He always had a weak stomach.

Satou-san smiled sympathetically. "Yeah, I understand. I freaked out the first time I saw something like that. I had to be escorted out of the OR because I just froze. My sensei then was kind enough to lend her shoulder later."

"How did you…cope?"

"Well, I got used to it. The more operations I observed, the more desensitized I became." He pursed his lips. "I hope you don't see something like that again."

"I doubt it," Yoichi mumbled. Mafia, Vongola, and Reborn all came to mind.

Satou-san glanced at him with an unreadable expression, when the elevator dinged and slowly opened. They walked towards the entrance in a rather comfortable silence. Patients and a few doctors walked about in the lobby. Conversations and a few TV's buzzed in the background.

"Alright, kid," Satou-san said, smiling. "Get back home safe. No detours, no talking to strangers, no drugs. Stay in school!"

Yoichi looked at him as if he grew two heads. "I'm second in my grade."

"Oh, hey, that's great! Definitely stay in school." A small beep came from the doctor's pocket. He fished out his pager, glancing at the message. "Well, duty calls. Here." He handed Yoichi a piece of paper. "If you need someone to talk to, shoot me a text or something. See ya!"

"Wait!" Yoichi exclaimed.

Satou-san paused in his step, looking at him quizzically. "Yeah?"

Yoichi dug out the energy bar Emiko had given him during lunch and handed it to the doctor. "It's not much but…here. Please take it. I don't think the patients would appreciate a zombie for a doctor."

Satou-san smiled warmly and took the bar. Yoichi swore an almost pleasant hum reverberated in his own body. "Thanks. Get home safe!"

He gave him a two-finger salute before dashing off towards the ER. Yoichi slung his backpack over his shoulder and sighed. Kami, that was nerve-wracking. He couldn't help but smile though. Maybe Satou-san wasn't as bad as he seemed. Sure, Shinzo practically worshipped him (which he never knew or cared enough to find out) but he could kind of see why.

"Yo-baka," a squeaky voice said, "did you think I'd forget about your training?"

The teen froze, feeling a small weight on his shoulder.

"Shin-baka is at Yamamoto's house," Reborn said, tilting his fedora. "You have five minutes to get there and pass this to him."

He dropped a baton into Yoichi's outstretched hand.

"Wait—"

"There's no time to wait, Yo-baka. A mafia boss should always know when to strike." The baby hitman cocked his gun. "Four minutes."

" _Shit_!" Yoichi started to run. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

If he could kill the hitman, he would. And he'd do it thoroughly.

* * *

Shinzo meticulously shifted through the dozens of requests from the clubs in his school for the upcoming _bunka-sai_ , or Cultural Festival. There were only four weeks left and he really had get most of these approved, preferably by tomorrow. Then he wouldn't have the teachers and principal breathing down his back.

"Hey, Shinzo," Takeshi said from his desk. "Could you explain this to me again?"

"Sure." Shinzo knelt next to him, looking over the homework problem. "You forgot to do this." He quickly pointed out Takeshi's error, patiently explaining the concept again. His friend wasn't stupid. Takeshi was actually pretty smart if he put in the effort, but his mind was only focused on baseball.

Takeshi smiled. "Oh, okay. I get it now. You're a really good teacher, Shinzo."

Shinzo grinned. "What'd you expect from the best? Let me know if you need anything else."

Takeshi nodded in thanks before returning to his homework. Sure, it was really stupid of Shinzo to try to avoid Reborn—that fucking baby was a Shinigami, he called it—and he couldn't think of anything else but hiding out in Takeshi's house. It was probably futile and a matter of time before the hitman found him, but hey, it didn't hurt to try at least.

Shinzo checked off some requests from the underclassmen. Most of the ideas constituted of temporary cafés or restaurants, a haunted house, and some plays—nothing too out of the ordinary. It was pretty standard stuff every year. The only thing different was the kind of performances, but the festival was fun overall. When the sun set, they'd put up a large bonfire in the school yard (with constant supervision from the Disciplinary Committee, of course), roast marshmallows, and share ghost stories.

"Hey, Shinzo," Takeshi said.

"Hmm?"

"I keep thinking about yesterday and I can't help but feel bad for Tsuna-san and Akiko-san."

Shinzo paused in his work. Yesterday was pretty exciting, but there were so many things that pissed him off. And he couldn't tell anyone else what really happened in there. The hospital board basically told them and everyone else to keep their mouths shut.

"Yeah," he said bitterly. "That was really fucked up. I'm just glad they didn't get punished any further. I kind of feel bad for Hibari-san, too. I wouldn't mind joining him in beating them up though."

"Maa, maa, you don't have to go that far." Takeshi's smile didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sure everything will get better. Don't worry."

"Easy for you to say." Shinzo sighed. "Why can't I have your outlook on life, Takeshi? Must be nice to just…breeze through everything."

"I just like to look at the positive side of things," Takeshi said lightly.

"You're a good person, Takeshi. I don't think I can do that for too long."

They entered a somewhat awkward silence. Shinzo didn't miss the way Takeshi spaced out from time to time. He looked so serious that it kind of scared Shinzo. Takeshi was rarely serious. He was always happy and smiling that it was hard to comprehend he could be serious when he wanted to be.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Shinzo tried hard to keep his voice calm, not giving away his discomfort.

"Hmm?" Takeshi said, looking up from his work. He grinned. "Oh, sorry! I was just thinking about the upcoming match."

Shinzo raised a brow. "That's still not for another week. You think too much when it comes to baseball. You know, if you spent some of that time studying, maybe you could raise your grades."

He didn't mean to sound callous, but it was the truth. If they were wanted to go to Namimori High, they'd have to maintain a minimum average at least to qualify. Takeshi was just barely passing, and that put him in a tough spot. There weren't that many high schools in Namimori, but the popular ones filled up quickly. Namimori High just happened to be one of them.

His friend laughed. "Maybe. But this match is really important to us and I really want to beat Kokuyo. I promise that I'll study more after."

Shinzo sighed. Takeshi said that many times already that he lost count. "Yeah, just don't push yourself too hard. I _know_ you've been sneaking out to practice on the weekends. Minoru saw you last week. That's not going to help you, Takeshi. Just relax. You're a good player. It's not like you're going to lose your skills overnight."

Takeshi's smile slightly faltered. "Right? They won't disappear overnight. The baseball gods won't do that to me." He grinned even more. "I'm not the ace for nothing!"

"Yeah, yeah, the baseball gods blessed you since you were born. Now go back to work. You've been on that for almost two hours now. You still have English and science left."

Takeshi nodded, suddenly pumped up with great enthusiasm. "Right! I'll do it! Hey, Shinzo, can we pitch a ball after?"

"We just did a few hours ago," Shinzo deadpanned. "Look, you need to—"

They both jumped when a rapid tapping sound came from the window. Shinzo stared at the window. Was that a hand?

"—nzo!" a muffled voice shouted. "Shinzo, open the fucking window! I'm going to fall!"

"Yo-chan?" Shinzo widened his eyes. "Yo-chan!"

He dashed towards the window, opened it, and pulled his younger brother inside.

Takeshi laughed. "What are you doing, Yoichi? Are you pretending to be a monkey?"

"Yo-chan, what the hell?" Shinzo said, looking over his sweaty brother for any injuries.

"Don't call me that," his brother panted, collapsing on the floor. "Go."

"Eh?"

Yoichi roughly slapped a baton in Shinzo's hand before pointing at the window. "Go find…shrine."

"Shrine? What shrine? Yo-chan, what—"

"Shin-baka, you have three seconds," a familiar squeaky voice said. The sound of a cocking gun made Shinzo freeze.

"Kami, no."

"Three seconds are up."

"Wait, no! That's unfair!"

Takeshi's laughter resounded in the background. "Maa, maa, you play well with your cousin."

"He's not my fucking cousin!" the twins screeched at the same time.

"Do you want to run to Osaka instead?"

Shinzo paled. "I'm going! Don't shoot me, Reborn!"

Reborn was a fucking demon incarnate and no one would tell him otherwise.

* * *

Gokudera fished out his eleventh cigarette and lit it swiftly with his lighter, sighing in sweet relief. He comfortably blew a stream of smoke from his chapped lips. He could barely get one in during school. For such cowardly teachers, they were pretty adamantly outspoken about smoking. Nearly everyone looked at him disapprovingly as he strolled throughout Namimori, but he didn't care. He could do whatever the fuck he wanted without anyone telling him otherwise, thank you very much.

The town was nothing remarkable like Reborn had told him, with the smallest population in Japan. It was in northwestern Nara Prefecture, near Kanmaki, and about 25 kilometers from Osaka city. By the time the sun set, Gokudera had already covered most of Namimori. He did admit that the town had some scenic sites; there were a few hills and pastures scattered in the more northern parts, though their beauty was more subdued and quiet compared to some towns in Italy. Castellucio came to mind, with its lush, fertile plains, filled with red poppies, violets, and rapeseed in springtime. Despite Gokudera's Japanese blood, he was born and raised in Italy, where his heart ultimately belonged.

Coming all the way from Italy for this? He would've told the other person to fuck off if it wasn't Reborn. He was also getting good money out of it. Reborn was no pushover, but Gokudera suspected the money was coming from Vongola's funds, not that he minded. He needed it to stock up on more explosives and pay his rent anyway. And if he somehow got into either candidate's good favor, it wouldn't be bad to have a position in Vongola. Besides, Gokudera thought bitterly, he owed Reborn for protecting his sister while they were dating. There were a couple of close calls but the hitman knew what he was doing. Just because Gokudera turned his back on his famiglia didn't mean that he didn't care about Bianchi, who was the closest thing to a family he had. He'd just never say it to her face. She'd never let him hear the end of it.

His first impression of the Decimo candidates was less than favorable, but he only knew their basic information that Reborn had informed him. The older one had potential, he guessed, but when his brother was involved, he'd drop everything to make sure he was safe. Whenever Gokudera kicked Yoichi's chair or tripped him during classes and breaks, he did admit that Shinzo could be terrifying when he glared at him. He had strong resolve, Gokudera had to give him that at least. Shinzo could care less about the mafia, which could make it easier for the candidacy battle. Less bloodshed if anything, but that wouldn't exempt him from being connected to Vongola.

There was some underlying tension between them that Gokudera couldn't understand. It was mostly one-sided, as Yoichi deliberately avoided his brother and only talked to him when it was necessary. Shinzo did a pretty good job covering up his disappointment. Gokudera didn't care what happened between them—okay, maybe a little. Sue him. He was only here to assess and choose.

Yeah, Gokudera can be hot-headed and rash sometimes but that didn't mean he was stupid. He knew there was no chance for him to enter Vongola. For one, he had turned his back on his own famiglia, which was allied with the other mafia. Second, he had no Vongola blood. Third, he didn't exactly play well with others. The only way he could was become a potential guardian, if either candidate didn't have one for Storm. Reborn had it all pretty much covered though, considering he called him over of all people.

"—till didn't find them yet," a curly-haired woman said.

Gokudera perked up in interest. He had heard what happened at the Hibari Clan's house from the other day. No one could still determine who it was. The most popular guess in the underworld was that it was the Hitsuji Clan, the family branch that collapsed and rebelled in Tokyo. It was a stretch, since the family was subtler and much smarter than most, but all possibilities had to be considered.

"I'm glad that Hibari-san is okay," the woman's companion said, shaking her head. She vaguely reminded Gokudera of one of the kendo members at school, with her narrow eyes and short, spiky black hair. Was it Mochiru? Mochizuki? Mochida?

"Yes, but it's a shame about the other patients though. I heard they were her men."

The Mochida woman sighed. "This has never happened before… Satoshi-kun hasn't come up with any leads yet. It's terrifying. What will happen to us if the Hibari Clan can't defend itself?"

"Don't worry too much, Bunko-san! I'm sure we'll be fine. They've been protecting us for a long time and your husband's police force shouldn't be underestimated, too."

"I hope so…"

"Did you hear about Hibari-san's nephew, too? My son said he didn't see him once at school today. He's been at the hospital all day from what I've heard."

"Oh, poor boy. It must be terrifying for him. First his parents, now his aunt. I hope everything will be okay."

"I'm sure Nana's boy is taking care of her well. Isn't it nice? He came back to Namimori to work at the hospital just for Endo-sensei!" The curly-haired woman laughed. "Talk about great timing."

"What a sweet young man. Kensuke could learn a thing or two from him."

"I heard he has to take the national exam for a license here, though. He's only a temporary resident."

Bunko rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "If he could help the doctors save Hibari-san, he's more than capable of being an official doctor. I'm sure he'll pass the exam with no problem."

"Satou-sensei—it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And he's so young, too. Nana must be very proud."

Gokudera paused. Satou—he heard that name before. Where did he hear that name…? Ah.

He dangled the _omamori_ he bought at a local Shinto temple in front of his face. It was a small white pouch with a red flower sewn neatly in the center. He didn't dare open it though. If he did, it was utterly disrespectful and the charm would lose its power. This _omamori_ was an amulet for good luck. Call him superstitious but he just knew it was meant to be.

Maybe coming to Namimori wasn't too bad after all, he thought, picking up his pace. Namimori University Hospital came to view ahead. Satou—Gokudera wasn't the type for vengeance, but he was only human after all. That man had been there when his mother died. Gokudera wouldn't pass up such a sweet opportunity.

* * *

The hospital staff was clearly frightened with him. Gokudera had spent a few minutes asking if "Satou-sensei" was in the building, but all he got were head shaking quickly and some quiet "no's". For some hotshot doctor, no one seemed to know where the young doctor was or care for that matter. A few of the younger doctors—residents, he guessed—sounded pretty bitter, too. Gokudera was just about to give up when he felt _it_. Pure Sky flames.

What the fuck? was his first thought. However, his body moved on its own. He maneuvered throughout the first floor of the hospital, noting the heavy influx of elderly patients, and snuck out through the back exit. Huh, no camera.

When he walked outside, he found himself in a small parking lot. It was relatively clean but strangely unused, except for a few cars parked near the exit. The flames felt even stronger as he walked towards a crouching figure. It was like they were just oozing in the air, not even bothering to hide themselves. Gokudera had never met a Sky flame-user. It was a rare flame, held by most of the mafia dons, except for the Evocatore Famiglia, whose boss possessed the Mist Flames.

But he knew enough about Sky Flames to recognize their unique harmonization quality—or rather his Storm Flames did. It just felt…so impossibly warm, almost like his mother's gentle touch, like _home_.

He smelled the faint smoke of cigarette drifting from the crouching young man. His tousled brown hair looked almost fluffy and oddly tamed at the same time.

"Look, I'm on break," the other snapped, flicking some cigarette ashes near his feet. "I don't know how you found me b—"

He turned around with a scowl, but froze when he saw Gokudera. Recognition and grief flickered in his brown eyes. Gokudera tried to relax. Did the doctor already know who he was? His dynamites were stored in secretly sewn pockets in all his clothes and his lighter was only a few centimeters away. His body told him to just chuck a dynamite at the doctor, but strangely, his heart was telling him that he'd regret it instantly.

"Uh, sorry," the doctor said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "You're not Ogata-sensei."

"Last I checked," Gokudera couldn't help but snark back. He tensed, waiting for the other to respond, but Satou just laughed lightly. An odd sense of relief washed over the teen. He furrowed his brows, confused at all these conflicting feelings. Was it the Sky Flames? Was the brunet manipulating them to lull him into a false sense of security? Goddamn it, what the fuck was going on?

"Yeah, you're way better-looking anyway."

Gokudera slightly flushed at the compliment. The doctor was…charming. Was that how he got close to his mother? Honestly though…Gokudera had no idea behind his mother's circumstances. He had tried to find answers on a woman he could barely remember (more like he didn't _want_ to remember) but no one told him anything when he had asked. Maybe…Satou had the answers?

"You smoke," Gokudera said blandly, eyeing the cigarette in the brunet's hand. He didn't take the other as a smoker but smoking was the only way for Gokudera to cope and relax—he'd understand if Satou did it for the same reason. Most smokers usually did.

Satou blinked before smiling thinly. "Yeah. I don't smoke often though." He gazed at the empty streets. "Just when I get stressed. Highly not recommended. You should quit too."

Gokudera raised a brow. "What makes you think—"

"Kid," Satou said, stretching out his legs, "you reek of smoke." He opened his mouth before closing it, sighing instead. "I'm too tired to lecture you on how smoking is bad for you and your lungs, blah blah blah. So, just don't do it. You can live so much longer if you do."

Now that Gokudera looked at him closely, Satou looked exhausted. His eyes were slightly red and bags were already appearing underneath them. Suddenly, Gokudera pitied him. He tried to push down the feeling but his Storm Flames flared within him, ready to protect this strange man, almost resonating with his Sky Flames.

"I don't see the point in living," Gokudera said, sitting down next to the brunet, though not too close. He had a hand near one of his dynamites, behind his pants pocket.

Satou blew a whiff of smoke from his lips. "Huh… How old are you? Thirteen?"

"I just turned fourteen last month."

"Congrats. Happy belated."

Gokudera eyed him warily. "Thanks, I guess." No one other than Bianchi had ever said that to him…

He took out his pack for another cigarette when Satou snatched it from his hands. He widened his eyes, sputtering in disbelief. "Hey, give that back, you bastard!"

"Marlboro Lights," Satou read, before shoving the pack in his coat's pocket. "No more smoking. Time to learn how to quit now, kid."

Gokudera glared. "You can't fucking tell me what to do. And I'm not a damn kid! Stop calling me that! Give it back. I need it!"

Satou rolled his eyes. "No, you don't. Geez, youngsters these days are terrifying. How is this going to help you? You're just going to deteriorate from the inside out." He patted his pocket. "It'll be safe with me, so no worries. If you can handle the withdrawal for two weeks, it'll get better."

"You smoke," Gokudera said. "And you look like you're, what, fifteen?"

Satou gaped. "I'm twenty-years-old, you little shit. How the fuck do I look fifteen? I'm not even that short."

Gokudera couldn't help but smirk. "I still would've mistaken you for a kid."

"Watch it, brat. I might be a doctor, but I won't hesitate to beat little children."

Satou even had the balls to pat him on the head and grin cheekily. Gokudera just roughly swatted his hand away, somehow not finding the heart to retort with a sarcastic comment. The other man obviously didn't mean that, but he looked more relaxed now, and holy shit, what was wrong with Gokudera's flames—they were practically purring for appeasing the other's anxiety. Gokudera felt like patting himself on the back. God, he'd never get into contact with Sky-flame users again if they were like Satou.

"I'm _not_ a kid," Gokudera muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"You're fourteen. That makes you a kid, or adolescent if that makes you feel any better."

Gokudera scowled. "I don't need anyone telling me what to do. I know the difference."

Satou smiled, sadness fleeting in his eyes. Gokudera wondered how the other wasn't eaten alive yet. "Yeah, I bet. You seem smart." The doctor took another whiff of his cigarette. "Look, you're young. I'm sure you make stupid mistakes sometimes. I don't know what happened to make you think it's not worth living, but things eventually get better."

Gokudera pursed his lips. "That's what everyone says."

Satou chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm not the best person for this kind of thing. I had my share of shit to get through, but it gets a bit easier if you have someone to talk to."

There was no one to talk to, not even Bianchi. Not one person would understand what Gokudera had gone through. He didn't ask for the life of a burgeoning hitman, to be born as a bastard child in the mafia, to lose his mother, the only person he ever loved. All life did was take and take until he had nothing left. The haunting memories of Lavina were the only good things he had, but he rarely touched upon them because they just hurt so damn much.

"There's no point," Gokudera muttered. "They just listen and tell you it's okay when it's not. They don't get it."

"Maybe you haven't found the right person to talk to yet," Satou said, crushing his cigarette with his foot. "Most people don't give a shit or they just don't really understand. It's not your job to make them though—that's on them. It's okay to be selfish sometimes."

That… Well, that was something different. Gokudera had been raised to always consider other people's feelings and thoughts first. Everyone had priority over him, even more so when he was an illegitimate child. Thinking about it now, he didn't consider himself in anything. Maybe it was just the person he was, maybe it was the numbness—he was too terrified to even think about it. No, he thought, mentally shaking his head. It was better that way. It was better to shove everything deep down. _That_ was the kind of person Gokudera was. Push everything away and pretend they didn't exist.

A small beep caught his attention. He stiffened, his eyes darting around for the source, before relaxing when he realized it was Satou's pager.

"Well, fuck," the doctor said, standing up. "Duty calls. It was nice talking to you, kid. Hit me up sometime. This was cool."

"My name's not kid. It's…Gokudera," the teen finished lamely.

"Nice to meet you, Gokudera. You probably know who I am and if you don't, I'd be very disappointed."

Gokudera snorted. "You're a narcissistic fuck."

Satou grinned. "You know it. Careful next time though. Don't go off talking to strangers. I could've been an axe killer or something." He tapped his name tag. "I'm sure you know how to read, too."

He walked past Gokudera, ruffling his head. The teen squawked indignantly at the unexpected contact. "Oh, and I'm still keeping your pack. Seriously, quit it. I don't need another patient in the hospital. _Arrivederci_ , you little shit." Satou waved over his shoulder before disappearing through the back entrance.

Gokudera stared at the door, his mind short-circuiting. Did…Satou know him? The doctor spoke to him in Italian. Did he know where Gokudera was from? Or was it all just a coincidence? He groaned, slumping further in his spot. Some hitman he was—he couldn't even extract some basic information. Instead they ended up in a frivolous conversation about feelings and shit. What the fuck am I good for again? he thought with a sigh.

He reached into his pocket for an extra pack he carried when he felt a slip of paper beside it. He took it out and just snorted at the number scribbled onto it.

That fuck, he couldn't help but think amusedly.

No matter how much Gokudera hated himself at that moment for probably the worst (impromptu) undercover mission ever—it wasn't even that fucking complicated, goddamn it—he couldn't help but feel that everything he had assumed was wrong.

God, coming to Namimori was a big mistake.

* * *

 **A/N It's all coming together now, hehe. Thank you for reading this far! I love you, peeps. ()**

 **It was a bit hard to write Gokudera's POV. Hopefully I did okay. I wanted to flesh out the canon characters more and give them more dimensions and backstories. Hope it's going alright! To address an issue, I realize that there are a lot of OC's and I apologize if that rubs off people in the wrong way. However, because I changed Tsuna's age, that makes it quite difficult. I'm trying to use as much canon characters as I can, including the KHR video game characters (which I've never played but they're on the wiki so might as well). The Evocatore Famiglia is one of them!**

 **Also, a bit of shameless advertising here, but I finally published a new KHRxHaikyu crossover story! Give it a read if you'd like!**

 **Drop a thought or two and I'll try to answer any questions as soon as I can!**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	10. Chapter 9

" _All warfare is based on deception."_ – Unknown

* * *

A light snore disturbed the silence in a small Toyota sedan. The radio was turned on low as the announcer spoke softly about recent news. Makoto rubbed her eyes before sipping her fourth cup of coffee. She glanced at the clock, restraining a frustrated sigh. She was never the patient type. Mochida-taichou knew that, but she was one the cops stuck with stakeout duty. Her partner's snore was less than welcoming but she was sure she was worse.

They were parked out behind some buildings, facing an old, run-down amusement park. Kokuyo Land was a strange place for yakuza men to hide in but nothing could be ruled out. Plus, it was pretty convenient. Kokuyo Land hadn't been touched in years after it was shut down. There were still some petitions going around to start it up again, but there wasn't much progress.

No one came in or out so far since they've been posted. The place was empty and just plain eerie. She could see why people thought it was haunted.

Makoto stretched her arms in the air, yawning loudly. It was almost time for rotation. She gave the newbie a couple of more hours anyway just 'cause he was new to this sort of thing. Nothing ever happened in Namimori—or in Japan for that matter; it had the one of the lowest crime rates in the world—until the shooting at the Hibari household yesterday. Then suddenly the police force was called in for duty to help Hibari-san's men and her nephew. Poor kid. He was also Ryohei's age; she couldn't imagine what he was going through. Sure, he was terrifying in his own right but he was still a kid. Most of the citizens in Namimori pitied him as much as they feared him.

Her radio crackled before Fukui-san's voice came through. "Nothing yet from here. No activity around the neighborhood either. Everyone's dead asleep."

Makoto reached over to pick it up. "Copy. Nothing to report here either."

"Same over here, sir," Kin said.

"Alright, keep me posted."

"Yes, sir," they both said.

A buzz vibrated in her pocket. She fished out her phone and grinned when she saw the caller ID, placing it next to her ear. "Yuu-kun, you should be sleeping now!"

Her husband chuckled gently. "Now, how can I sleep when my dear wife is out there catching the bad guys?"

Makoto rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself, honey. I'm tough and you know it."

"I know, dear. I'll be expecting news of you kicking the bastards' asses."

Makoto giggled. "Of course! How are the kids?"

"Eh, Kyoko-chan invited Hana over for a sleepover. Kami knows what they're doing in her room. I'm not checkin'. Ryohei is practicing in the gym again."

"What? Tell him to come back. Do you know what time it is? He can't push himself like that all the time!"

She could sense her husband wince over the phone. "Yeah, but he's all fired up about that boxing competition this weekend. I don't want to bring down the mood, ya know?"

"Honey, if he keeps going like that, he'll only exhaust himself. Tell him to come back home or else!"

"Alright, alright, calm down. I'll call him after."

"You better. And if he's not home, I'll drag 'im there myself."

"Got it. got it. I'll text you after, dear. Don't worry." His voice lowered. "Stay safe, alright? Think twice before you go in, okay?"

"You don't need to remind me, honey."

"You punch first and ask questions later. I have a good reason to be worried."

There was an exasperated fondness in his tone that both annoyed and charmed her. Her soft husband was everything to her, even though he was a constant worrywart. Come on, she wasn't _that_ bad—okay, maybe she did make some questionable choices in the past but nothing terrible happened, aside from a few fractured bones and bruised ribs. Yeah, nothing bad at all!

"Oh, come on, you're exaggerating!"

Hiroki, her partner, stirred in his sleep, groaning lightly.

Makoto lowered her voice. "I have to get back, honey. Don't worry too much. It's bad for your heart. You should really rest. And don't forget to get Ryo-kun home! Call him right now!"

"Okay, okay! Promise me you'll be safe?"

"Yes, yes. Love you, honey."

"Love you, too."

After she hung up, Makoto sighed a bit, slumping in her seat. Hiroki yawned beside her and stretched, rubbing his eyes. He was a bit young but he was a hard and diligent worker—a steady anchor for her rash tendencies. They'd been partners for four months now but she wouldn't have asked for anyone else.

"Your husband?" Hiroki said groggily, stretching out his legs.

"Yup!" Makoto laughed and ran a hand through her short reddish-brown hair. "Sorry, I woke you up."

"It's fine," Hiroki said, cracking his neck. "I'm sorry—I slept for too long."

Makoto shrugged. "It's okay. I let you. It's rough the first time around."

Hiroki had never been on a stakeout before, not when Namimori was peaceful until yesterday. Makoto had some experience since she used to work in Kyoto before moving to Namimori several years ago.

She pocketed her phone. "How's Rin-chan?"

"She's fine," Hiroki said nonchalantly. "Nothing different."

Makoto smiled slyly. "I've been hearing that she wants kids."

He grimaced. "It's…complicated. I mean, if that's what Rin wants, I guess. But I think it's too early, you know? We only just got engaged. Our wedding's not for months. She goes in way over her head sometimes."

"Eh, but it's not a bad idea. They're a handful at first but you learn to love 'em." She nudged him playfully. "Who knows? You might be a good father and earn some extra points."

Hiroki sighed. "We'll get there when we get there." He straightened up in his seat. "I can take over now, Sasagawa-san."

"Thanks," Makoto said, yawning. "There's some extra coffee I got."

"Thank you."

"No problem, kiddo. Wake me if anything happens."

Hiroki nodded solemnly. "Of course. I hope we catch the bastards."

Makoto nodded. "It's the least we could do for Hibari-san."

Though the Hibari Clan was a prominent yakuza family, Namimori was built upon their founders and have worked with the police on some occasions, though it was mostly on security measures. It was practically its own private force. The family was careful to not draw their enemies to the small town or involve the locals with any conflicts; all of them were isolated in bigger cities, but this happened and created a mess. Hibari Kyoya was impressive but there was only so much he could do; he also had a temper—punch first, ask questions later—which got them nowhere so far.

"I can wake you up in four hours or so, Sasagawa-san," Hiroki said.

"Alright, thanks. Keep an eye out. Anything can happen."

Hiroki nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I got it."

It must've been only an hour or so before Hiroki shook her awake. "Sasagawa-san, Sasagawa-san!"

Makoto groaned, blinking rapidly to get rid of the sleep in her eyes. She yawned. "What? Somethin' happen?"

"Look." Hiroki pointed at a line of approaching black vehicles. Makoto immediately snapped into attention. She grabbed her radio and spoke, "This is east quadrant. We're looking at a couple of black vehicles that just rolled up."

"Copy that," Fukui-san said. "Wait for orders. Keep an eye on them, Sasagawa."

"Yes, sir!"

Makoto and Hiroki shared a look, both tense in anticipation. She could hear their heartbeats in the car's silence as several suited men walked out of the vehicles. There was one man who stood out from the rest of them. He was strikingly tall—she guessed around 194 cm—with spiked out, slick black hair. She couldn't really make out his face but she did see a glimpse of two dark lines on the right side of his cheek. Maybe tattoos? She assumed he was the leader from the way he gestured at one of the larger buildings in the amusement park and everyone filed inside. It was almost eerie, the way they walked in unison.

"What the hell?" Hiroki muttered, voicing both their thoughts.

A few minutes passed. Nothing happened. Crickets chirped in the dead of the night. Makoto didn't see Fukui-san's car or any other patrol cars roll up. Do they go in? Do they stay? Do they call for more backup? These questions circled Makoto's mind endlessly as she tried to get a good grasp of the situation.

"I got their license plates, Sasagawa-san," Hiroki said. "I'm sending them to the station now."

"Yeah, good thinking," Makoto said, nodding. Her stomach tightened as the silence prolonged even further. "Just what the hell are they d—"

The sound of rapid gunfire suddenly pierced the air. Makoto immediately grabbed her radio. "Fukui-san, shots fired! I repeat shots fired!"

Static was the only response. Her heart sank. They couldn't have… The gunshots were coming from inside the building. Did Fukui-san and the others get caught?

"Shit," she muttered, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Hiroki, come on!"

"What?"

"We need to check on the others!"

"We should call Mochida-taichou first."

That…didn't cross her mind at all. Fuck. Her husband's words whispered faintly in the back of her mind. That did nothing but irritate her further. "Right, do that. Request backup and an ambulance!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I'll be right back."

Makoto exited the car and dashed across the street, hiding behind some smaller buildings. Her heart raced against her chest as she peeked over her shoulder. Someone was walking out—it was the extremely tall man from before. Blood stained his suit and gloves. There was no one else coming out, just him. Did he…shoot his own men? The thought made Makoto's blood run cold.

Getting a clear look at his face under the streetlights, Makoto realized that he was a foreigner. Maybe European?

What does a foreigner have to do with the yakuza? she thought. Unless there was something else going on. She shook her head. Now wasn't that time to think about that. She needed to see if her colleagues were okay.

The tall man entered one of the cars and promptly drove off. Makoto took note of the license plate before surveying the empty streets for any signs of unwanted pedestrians. Nothing. Alright.

Rushed footsteps came from behind her, making her tense. She whirled around quickly, her fists raised, then relaxed when she saw it was Hiroki.

"I called him, Sasagawa-san," he said, moving to stand next to her. "He said to not engage and wait for backup."

Makoto pursed her lips. "But what about the others? They might be hurt."

"I don't know," Hiroki said. "It might just be from inside the building. It was hard to pinpoint if there were any shots outside. Let's go back in the car, Sasagawa-san. It's safer."

"You can go back," Makoto said. "I'll try to go and—"

A gunshot echoed in the air. They froze. It sounded close, way too close. Hiroki grabbed his gun, his muscles tense. Makoto narrowed her eyes, trying to pinpoint the source. It came from their…right.

A stumbling figure suddenly turned around the corner. Hiroki instantly aimed his gun at the limping person. Makoto stepped slightly in front of him, almost shielding him from the unknown threat. If anything, she'd be the first line of defense. She was fast so she'd be able to disarm the assailant. Plus, guns weren't her thing.

"Police!" she said. "Show us your hands!"

"Sasagawa," the person wheezed, leaning on the wall.

She recognized that voice. "Fukui-san!"

The older man looked worse for wear. Blood stained his face and shirt. He was holding his gun and a small cut was on his left cheek. His right leg looked like it took a hit.

"Fukui-san, what happened?" Makoto said, rushing to his side.

"I—I don't know," the man gritted out, leaning on the shorter woman for support. "We were in the south quadrant when shots were fired. It was all a blur after."

"Weren't the shots coming from inside the building, Fukui-san?" Hiroki said.

"They were." The man groaned as he sat down on the ground. "But…Osamu, he turned his gun on me. Said they paid him more. I barely got out."

"W—What?" Hiroki said, his face pale. "Osamu… He wouldn't do that." He glanced at the blood on Fukui-san's clothes. "Is that…Is that his?"

Fukui-san closed his eyes, his brow wrinkling as he frowned. "Yes… I couldn't talk him out of it. He tried to kill me. I didn't have much choice."

Makoto widened her eyes. Osamu was part of their fresh batch of newbies two months ago. He'd been nothing but respectful to everyone. To think that he'd be easily swayed by money was just unbelievable. That made her pause. Were there other moles in the department? It was…doubtful. They were small but they were family. If Osamu was struggling, they would've known or he could've came to them. To think that the polite young man was suffering to the point of taking bribes was alarming. Kami, she had to tell Mochida-taichou.

"What about the others, Fukui-san?" she said, her throat constricting.

The man shook his head. "I don't know. You were the closest. I just thought about getting away."

Makoto nodded. "Okay." She stood up, facing an ashen Hiroki. "Hiroki, stay with him. Update Mochida-taichou. I'll go take a look."

"But—"

"It's _okay_ , Hiroki. I'll be right back. We haven't got contact from the others yet. I have to make sure none of them are hurt."

"I don't think it'd be good for you to go out there, Sasagawa," Fukui-san said suddenly.

"Don't worry, Fukui-san! I can handle…myself…"

She gaped when the man rose with graceful ease. He stood upright as if one of his legs wasn't shot. There was an odd air about him that she couldn't place. Nonetheless, a shiver ran down her spine. Her instincts were telling her to get away from her superior, even though her mind couldn't grasp why.

"Fukui-san," Hiroki said, taking a step back, "are you…alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Kano," Fukui-san said, gazing at them with an eerily pleasant smile. "I'm afraid you won't be able to find anyone. They're currently out-of-commission at the moment." He pointed his gun at them. "You'll be joining them soon."

Makoto couldn't grapple with the rush of emotions that whirled in her mind, except anger always came to the forefront. She may not understand what or why this was happening, but her body was attuned to react to danger—and damn it all, she'd fight him if she had to.

In one swift movement, she moved her head first to the side and easily grabbed a hold of his arm. She hooked her left arm over his wrist, immobilizing his hold on the gun, and smashed her elbow into his face. A shot rang in the air but she felt no pain, just pure adrenaline. She kneed the man in the stomach and kicked his bad leg, knocking him effortlessly to the ground.

Fukui-san chuckled amusedly. "It seems like I chose the wrong person."

"Shut up," Makoto growled, pinning his arms behind his back. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you, Fukui-san, but snap out of it!"

"I shouldn't be your concern now, Sasagawa."

Makoto glared. "What?"

Fukui-san smiled, his lips bleeding. "I'm sure Kano requires your assistance."

Makoto turned around instantly and gasped when she saw Hiroki sprawled on the ground and clutching his stomach. "Hiroki!"

That was a mistake. Before she could reach Hiroki's side, a shot rang in the air and pain burned in her leg. She gasped, stumbling to the ground. Her leg felt strangely hot and numb. She looked over her shoulder to see Fukui-san chuckling at her. His right eye was crimson red with the kanji numeral for two. What the hell…?

"It was a pleasure meeting you, officers," he said, a chilling glint in his eyes. "I just wished it was under better circumstances. _Addio_."

Wailing sirens sounded from the distance as he pulled the trigger. All Makoto could think of was her family as their grinning faces became slowly enshrouded by darkness.

* * *

Tsuna was just about regretting everything he had ever done in his life. It had only been one day working in the hospital and it was like he was fourteen all over again.

There were several things that bothered him, but he wasn't in any position to say anything. He'd definitely clash with the doctors and he just didn't have the energy to do that now; plus, he wasn't willing to gain more enemies. All he could do was stay in the background and observe. He wasn't impatient in that aspect. It was how he learned after all. He was just impatient with the system.

He had registered for the national license exam in December, and was stuck as a resident until then. Kami, he just wanted to stab Fujiwara with a blunt knife if he could, and preferably the rest of the assholes on the hospital board. No one would find their bodies, he thought deliriously. He'd make sure of it.

The hospital residents were undeniably at the bottom of the food chain, just a step above nurses. They had poor clinical training and rarely even got the chance to pick up a scalpel—maybe once or twice on rare occasions, but under very strict supervision of the head surgeon, who would mostly take over anyway. They would go through rotation after the new postgraduate medical system got legislated in 2004: 6 months in internal medicine, 3 months in surgery, and 3 months in emergency medicine.

One of the bigger issues was that they lacked the number of teachers to teach emergency medicine adequately. Additionally, the curriculum itself was weak. Non-emergency specialists could not train physicians, even if they were sufficiently able to teach emergency care in their own specialty. There were only an estimated 3,000 emergency physicians in Japan. The ER also only limited their care to patients who were most critically ill or injured, which was up to subjective opinion.

Moreover, Japan had a rapidly aging population, which created a shortage in the labor force. The lack of doctors was crippling. The ER had two attending physicians and three residents during business hours, while one of each during off-hours. Tsuna was currently the "resident" who got the short end of the stick and stuck in the hospital for a couple of more hours. Horie-sensei was the attending ER physician tonight—at least, Ishida-sensei and Ogata-sensei weren't in. That spared him the migraines for the rest of the evening.

Tsuna wandered around the hospital, finding it strange for it to be so peaceful. There were some groans here and there but it was relatively quiet. He missed the chaos, the thrill, the adrenaline. Yeah, it was probably sick of him to think that but he was accustomed to pandemonium. It made him feel alive, _useful_. Most of the patients here were old. Plus, Namimori was a small town.

He greeted all the nurses he passed by with a smile. Some of them smiled back, which made him feel a little better. He missed Ema—she got off early with his mother late afternoon, stuck with the duties of a geriatric nurse, far away from Tsuna. Though they did spam his phone with texts to make sure he didn't faint yet, or worse, snap. He tried hard to forget last night and how Kyoya managed to get in his room. Turned out that he just barged through the front door. That kid really needed to get himself in check.

The dreams had become more vivid since he met Verde and Reborn. He had frequent nightmares since he was a kid, which almost disappeared after the incident in Italy, but were slowly returning after he met Verde, who he recognized from a few of them. That was when he noticed that they weren't just dreams—they were memories. He had never mentioned them to anyone yet until last night (he made Kyoya swear he wouldn't tell anyone else or he'd beat the living shit out of him, which interested the prefect more than the dreams had—crazy kid, probably a secret masochist).

And he'd never mention them to Reborn. He didn't know if the hitman would appreciate someone like him privy to his most private memories. On another note, Tsuna just wished they'd never meet again; but Namimori was a small town and he had a feeling that their paths would cross again soon.

That reminded him… Gokudera. Kami, he looked just like his mother. He had recognized the teen the instant he saw him. He didn't think too much about how the boy was in Namimori or why—he had a feeling that he wouldn't like it. Gokudera seemed like a punk, but a decent kid. Tsuna hoped that he was doing okay at least, but judging from how rundown and weary the teen was, he doubted it and that just made him feel even worse.

"Care to spare a few of your thoughts, Satou-sensei?"

Tsuna yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin. He banged his knee against one of the sofas in the waiting lounge and hissed when he spilled his hot coffee on his hand. "Shit, can you not do that?"

Fujiwara-sensei laughed, an annoying smile smeared across his equally annoying face. "I apologize, Satou-sensei. Here, take this. I'll get you another coffee."

He handed Tsuna a light purple handkerchief. The brunet eyed it warily before snatching it and wiping his hand. His skin was red and sensitive; he might have to cool it with ice later.

"I want an espresso," he said, just to spite the other man.

Fujiwara-sensei, to his disappointment, took it in stride. "Of course. I was hoping to chat anyway. Will my office be alright?"

Tsuna plopped himself down on a chair, tossing his Styrofoam cup in a nearby trash can. "I'm more comfortable here, if you don't mind. Make it quick. I'm busy."

"Last I checked you're only a resident," Fujiwara-sensei said vaguely, sitting down across from him. He smiled pleasantly. "I've been meaning to talk to you but you're a difficult person to get a hold of, Satou-sensei."

Tsuna mentally rolled his eyes. Even though he didn't have much to do other than menial paperwork, he tried to use his time efficiently to at least see how the hospital worked and gain some good standing among the nurses. Might as well make the best of his situation—plus, Endo-sensei was extremely pissed when he found out what had happened. So, yeah, Tsuna might be lying if he said he wasn't trying to avoid the big elephant in the room—And Fujiwara-sensei was at the center of it.

"I try," he said dryly. "Why were you looking for me? I have nothing to say to you."

"Oh, really?" An amused glint shone in the other doctor's eyes. "You looked like you had a lot to say the other day."

Tsuna eyed him warily. Was he _trying_ to get him to snap? "Congratulations, you hit the jackpot."

Fujiwara-sensei smiled. "I believe I already got my prize."

"Great."

If anything, Fujiwara-sensei's smile grew wider. "I'll be able to work alongside you, Satou-sensei."

Tsuna raised a brow. "Work with _me_? I'm pretty sure you have the upper-hand here, Fujiwara-sensei. You've worked hundreds of surgeries in Kyoto during your residency—I don't know how the hell you did that, but kudos, I guess—and managed to become an assistant professor four years prior. Compared to me, you're more of a seasoned surgeon than I am."

The other doctor looked almost delighted. "I'm glad I caught your attention, Satou-sensei. You've done your research."

"And I'm assuming you did yours," Tsuna said dryly.

"Of course. Who could ignore the little genius from Namimori?"

Tsuna scowled. "I'm not little." He soon realized the hole in his argument then mumbled, "Okay, yeah, I was then, but not _now_."

"I envied you, Satou-sensei," the other doctor said, making Tsuna stare at him quizzically. "You caught Endo-sensei's attention, which was something I could've never done. He may've been a professor but personally taking in students was unlike him." He smiled ruefully. "You're the last student he'll ever have."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "He's not dead yet."

"You can't deny that he's wasting away."

"Okay, what the hell's your point?" Tsuna snapped, ignoring the buzz in his pocket. "Are you trying to antagonize me? Well congratulations, Fujiwara-sensei, you're doing it. Are you done?" He stood up abruptly. "Excuse me. I have work to do. Forget the espresso, too."

He paused in his step when Fujiwara-sense spoke, "Did you forget your place already, Satou?"

The lack of honorific made Tsuna tense. Though he wasn't all that concerned about it, there was a strong undertone in Fujiwara-sensei's voice that made chills crawl up his spine. He looked over his shoulder to see the other man lean back casually in his seat.

"Excuse me?" Tsuna said, his voice tight.

Fujiwara-sensei's smile almost took a threatening turn. "Even though I vouched for you to the board, you have a position to uphold here."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "I didn't need you to vouch for me. I would've been fine with whatever punishment they gave me. I made the choice of saving Hibari-san when no one else wanted to. I knew what I was doing."

"Even if your teacher's life was on the line?"

Tsuna stiffened. His guts churned. He did not like where this was going. "What do you mean by that?"

"Granted, Endo-sensei doesn't have much longer to live; the chairman wouldn't hesitate to get rid of him. He despises him. Even though he has Kurokawa-sensei and Ikeda-sensei in his complete control, anyone who has connections with Endo-sensei are enemies in his book." Fujiwara-sensei smiled. "He would love to tell Kobayashi-sensei to stop giving him treatment."

Tsuna stared at him, trying to process what he just heard. What did Endo-sensei do to have someone hate him to the point of wanting to _kill_ him? His sensei might have a bitter temperament and rarely saw eye-to-eye with anyone, but he was always respected one way or another. On the other hand, Tsuna shouldn't be shocked if his sensei drew enemies, but things continued slipping through the cracks in the past few days and he didn't know why this was his life anymore.

"He would've also fired your mother," Fujiwara-sensei continued, as if he was talking about the weather, "and make it impossible for her to work anywhere else. He has an impressive connection beyond Namimori after all. In fact, you should be thanking me. This was just the better alternative."

"What do you want?" Tsuna said bluntly.

Fujiwara-sensei stood up and towered over Tsuna almost intimidatingly. "All in good time, Satou-sensei. I'm still figuring it out myself. Though I was being honest about working with you, but there's the larger picture we'll have to consider."

"We?"

"In due time, Satou-sensei," the other doctor said cryptically. "Aren't you going to answer your phone?"

Tsuna took a few steps back, his nose wrinkling at the doctor's faint cologne, and took out his phone. He turned away for some privacy, sensing Fujiwara-sensei's eyes on his back. "Hello, this is—"

"Satou-sensei, this is Nobu! Is it possible for Namimori University Hospital to take in my men?"

"Wait, what?" Tsuna glanced at Fujiwara-sensei, who was politely looking elsewhere. "Nobu-san, slow down. What are you—"

"Several of my men were injured while tracking down the enemy in Kokuyo and some are in critical condition."

Tsuna sighed. "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do, Nobu-san. You'll do bet—"

Nobu nearly shouted in the phone, "Please, Satou-sensei! I apologize for asking too much but…I can't lose any more men. They have families."

Then why join the fucking yakuza? Tsuna mentally screamed. Kami, was this seriously going to be his life from now on?

"I'm sorry, Nobu-san," he said tersely. "I wish I can do more. It'd be best to go to Kokuyo University Hospital. It's much closer."

He hung up quickly and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"Is there something wrong, Satou-sensei?" Fujiwara-sensei said.

Yeah, everything, Tsuna though bitterly. Never—He _never_ refused to offer his help, and he just did to the right-hand man of the Hibari Clan's head. Those men who he practically left for dead—No, they weren't on his hands. It wasn't his responsibility. He couldn't risk his mother or Endo-sensei by causing more trouble. He was in a totally different battlefield. But…

Tsuna sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please don't," he said tiredly. "I need some time to think."

He'd never felt so exhausted before. Something within him just kept beating, _flickering_ , and he wanted it to stop. It was like his energy was constantly being sucked out of him. It just made him more terrified of everything, of himself. He was close to snapping and he knew he wouldn't like the result if he did.

"Satou-sensei!" a nurse called out, running towards them. "Oh, Fujiwara-sensei! Thank goodness, I could find you both! There's a call for several patients involved in a shooting incident in Kokuyo. Some are detectives that were in a nearby area. Do we take them in?"

Tsuna tensed. Did the university hospital in Kokuyo _reject_ them? What about other clinics? Midori, too? He gritted his teeth. Before he could say another word, Fujiwara-sensei said, "Reject them. Inform them that there are no available surgeons at the moment."

Tsuna turned around to face him. "What?"

Fujiwara-sensei had the fucking balls to _smile_. "We're short-staffed and taking in those patients might cause serious trouble on your part."

"There are people probably dying out there!"

"And what will you do, Satou-sensei? You're only one person and not commissioned to operate."

"Commissioned or not, we need to help them. Are you just going to let them die?"

Fujiwara-sensei raised his hands in a placating manner. "It's just a precaution that's all, Satou-sensei."

Tsuna had it. Just, fuck no. "You can dabble in the fucking politics later, but right now there are people who need my help. I don't give a flying shit anymore. My job is to help people and if this hospital, or _you_ , won't do what was asked of your own fucking _position_ , I might as well take the damn hit." He turned to the startled nurse. "How many and their status?"

The nurse quickly snapped out of her stupor. "T—There are two police officers in critical condition and eight men with gunshot wounds."

Ten patients. That was fine; he could probably work with that (Who the fuck was he kidding? a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. He couldn't be everywhere at once). They had more than enough empty beds in the ER.

Tsuna rushed back to the ER, forcing the nurse to keep pace. "Call all the off-duty ER surgeons and operating nurses as soon as you can. Get Horie-sensei, too. Notify them of the situation. Prep the OR's. We need all hands on-deck."

"Y—Yes, Satou-sensei!"

Tsuna took out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

A drowsy voice came from the other line. "Tsuna? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry for waking you, Ema, but I need help."

He could hear rustling in the background as Ema got out of bed. "What is it?"

"Ten incoming patients. Two are in critical condition and eight have gunshot wounds. I don't know anything beyond that. I don't think the paramedics can assess them properly. I just fucking pray that they're stabilized at least."

"Tsuna, take a deep breath."

He didn't even realize that he was basically panicking at this point. He slowly took in a deep breath and exhaled. His heart thumped hard against his chest; it was almost painful.

"I'll be there in three minutes. I'll ask Nana if I can borrow her car."

"Could you get some espresso on the way? Wait, actually that might take some time. Forg—"

"I got it, Tsuna. I'll be there."

Tsuna nodded. "Okay, alright. Yeah, thank you, Ema."

"Anytime."

He hung up as several sirens wailed in the distance. Most of the nurses that assembled stood to the side, waiting for the ambulances to come in. Tsuna sighed. He got his work cut out for him.

"Alright, our priority is to treat and stabilize the patients until the surgeons are here. Whatever you have to do, do it." He grinned, feeling slightly better. "If you have any questions, I'll be available. We can do this, alright?"

The nurses slowly came back to life. They nodded, some with uneasy smiles. "Yes, Satou-sensei!"

The doors soon opened. Tsuna braced himself.

* * *

As soon as Kaito arrived at the hospital, all he saw was chaos. Nurses rushed around the room, shouting out orders and vitals to each other as they passed. Some were yelling for Satou-sensei as they wheeled some of Hibari-san's men to other areas. He looked around for any doctors before catching a nurse's attention. "Honda-san, where are the detectives that came in here?"

"I'm sorry, Mochida-san," the nurse said, fumbling with the IV packs in her hands. "Please ask the front desk. We're currently busy and I need to attend to other patients."

He let her go, frowning. He quickly searched the ER beds, too impatient for a nurse to go through the system, when he heard, "Where the hell is the neurosurgeon? The drugs won't be enough to reduce the swelling or drain some of the brain fluid."

Kaito followed the voice and froze when he saw Sasagawa lying in a hospital bed. "Sasagawa!"

"Mochida-san, you can't come in here!" one of the nurses said, trying to block him.

"How is she? Will she be okay?"

A young doctor glanced at him. "Sir, you need to leave. You'll interfere." He looked to one of the nurses. "Where is he, Kon-san?"

"He won't answer the phone, Satou-sensei!"

"Call him again! We won't be able to stabilize her for too long. She needs to go into surgery soon."

Surgery? Kami…

"Keep her on the IV and check her vitals," the doctor said. "Make sure OR One is prepped and ready. Sir, come with me."

The detective couldn't take his eyes off Sasagawa as the doctor firmly ushered him out into the waiting room. Dread crept in his chest. He couldn't lose any of his teammates. He couldn't—not after the other teams were shot in cold blood. This was unreal. Kami, he'd have to tell her family. How would they react? Yuuto had a weak heart. This…This wouldn't be good for them.

"I'm assuming you're one of the detectives?" Satou-sensei said.

"Yes, I am." They shook hands briefly. "Mochida Kaito."

"Satou Tsunayoshi. Is there any way we can get into contact with Sasagawa-san's family? We'll need some basic medical information before we get her into surgery."

Kaito grimaced. "I can but her husband has a weak heart."

Satou-sensei looked sympathetic but his voice was steady. "I understand but we need her information. Do you at least know her blood type or if she has any condition we need to be aware of?"

"Uh, she had a couple of fractured bones in the past but nothing major. She's A-positive from what I remember, but I'm not too sure."

"Alright, well, you'll have to notify her family soon."

"Yeah, I know. Also, do you have a patient named Kano Hiroki?"

"Yes, he's also being prepped for surgery. He was shot near the kidney, but there's a chance he'll live."

Kaito paled. "A chance?"

"I can't guarantee anything, Mochida-san."

"Kaito? What are you doing here?"

The detective turned to see Shigeru rush through the ER doors in a sweater and worn jeans.

"Sasagawa and Kano got shot," Kaito said darkly.

"Kami." Shigeru looked around the ER, his eyes widening. "Satou-sensei, what's the situation?"

"If I don't get a neurosurgeon in here now, Sasagawa-san will die," the young doctor growled. "She needs to get into surgery."

"Have you tried Minami-sensei?"

"He won't answer the damn phone."

Kon-san suddenly ran towards them. "Satou-sensei, Minami-sensei said that he's leaving for a conference in Tokyo."

"What?" Shigeru said. "That conference was supposed to be next week."

"Fucking hell," Satou-sensei said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He narrowed his eyes. "She needs surgery _now_. I'll do it, Kurokawa-sensei."

"What? But you're not a neurosurgeon, Satou-sensei, and you're only a resident. You're not—"

"She's going to die. I'll deal with that later. You'll be the head surgeon. I'll be the assistant."

Shigeru hesitated.

"Just save her for Kami's sake!" Kaito exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Do what you have to, please, Shigeru!"

"Kon-san, prep her for surgery now!" Satou-sensei said. "Kurokawa-sensei, let's go." He looked at Kaito and nodded reassuringly. "We'll take care of her, Mochida-san."

"Please," he whispered.

The two doctors ran inside the ER, leaving Kaito behind. He took a shaky breath before taking out his phone and dialing Yuuto's number.

The other man picked up after the second ring, his voice fearful. "Kaito?"

"Yuuto…your wife is in the hospital. I need you to come to Namimori University Hospital now."

"Oh, Kami, no, no, no. Please, Kaito, is she…?"

"She'll be fine," Kaito said firmly, reassuring the both of them. "Shigeru and Satou-sensei are taking her in for surgery."

Yuuto breathed unsteadily. "I—I'll be there."

"I'll be waiting. Drive safe."

Kaito hung up and slumped in one of the seats. Goro was out in the field with backup, investigating the crime scene. The leader of the dead yakuza men had shot all of them inside the abandoned Kokuyo Land and left. There were still no leads as to where he went. It was like he vanished. And the other police officers… Kami, he just couldn't believe that it was Fukui who shot them all, including Sasagawa and Kano.

Several questions swam nauseatingly in his mind and no answers came up. Fuck.

He had no choice but to wait.

* * *

 **Translation:**

 _ **Addio**_ **– Farewell**

 **Guest Review Response:**

 **M.L.: Thank you so much for leaving a review! I loved the little things you pointed out about Reborn and Tsuna. I figured that Tsuna's reaction to Reborn and mafia was a bit too realistic for a fictitious story—I keep emphasizing realism when I know I can take some liberty to be a bit freer in my writing. I don't know if it's a bad habit but I'll do my best to not come on too strong with that. With Reborn, I don't know if this would make sense, but I honestly didn't get a solid grasp on his personality (he didn't seem like much of a 3-Dimensional character for me—so many things to fill in with this anime/manga, haha). I also wanted to take his hypnosis into account. Shamal had previously hypnotized him to help him forget some of his memories, which I thought would be interesting to explore. I don't know if I'm making sense with this but I'll try to have everything come together later!**

* * *

 **A/N So, the Kokuyo Arc will be starting a bit differently from canon, hehe. Poor Tsuna. He can't ever catch a break, can he?**

 **Originally, this chapter was supposed to be longer, including the surgery that Tsuna would perform, but I wasn't quite sure if you peeps would like to read through the operations (and I thought the other draft was way too long anyway, haha). Let me know if you would actually like to continue reading those! More Badass!Tsuna in action, hehe…**

 **Ahh, so many questions, so little answers. Don't worry, peeps, it'll all eventually come together~**

 **Thank you so much for reading! Leave a thought or two if you can. I'll try to answer your questions as soon as possible!**

 **I hope to see you in the next chapter!**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	11. Chapter 10

" _The supreme_ _art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting._ _"_ – Sun Tzu

* * *

Kyoya revved up his motorcycle and sped down the streets with one goal in mind: tear the leader apart. He left as soon as he heard that a leader of the enemy yakuza left Kokuyo Land in a car. His aunt flashed briefly in his mind, hooked to IV lines and tubes. The streets quickly became a blur around him. He would leave nothing behind and bite the herbivore to death.

He turned small corners, zoomed through narrow alleyways, and finally entered Third Street, one of the bigger roads in Namimori. There were no cars driving nearby. All the shops were closed with their lights turned off; not a single inkling of life was present. Hibari didn't care. Less herbivores getting in the way, he thought.

A glimmer of black caught the corner of his eye. He instantly swerved to the right. A black car quickly came into view. Kyoya didn't think twice. He sped up even more, the motorcycle's exhaust roaring in the air. Within seconds, he caught up with the car.

The driver was a tall man with two dark lines on the right side of his face. He looked irritated when he glanced at the prefect. Kyoya glared at him, but it didn't do anything to intimidate him. He steadied himself before leaping onto the hood of the car. The other man cocked an eyebrow.

He never stopped though and just stared at Kyoya, as if waiting for him to make the first move. Kyoya grabbed one of his tonfas and smashed the windshield; glass flew everywhere and he smirked when the man jumped in surprise. The car suddenly skidded as the other tried to take control of the wheel, cursing at the teen. Kyoya held on tight before grabbing the man's collar and hurling him onto the road with tremendous strength. He quickly jumped from the swerving car and gracefully rolled on the ground, then instantly sprinted towards the man.

He brought his tonfas together and struck the man in the ribs before aiming at his solar plexus. He slightly widened his eyes when the leader blocked his tonfa and swiftly kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Kyoya barely managed to regain his footing when he nearly flew a few feet away. Blood roared in his ears. He couldn't help the feral grin from stretching on his lips.

"Wao," he said.

The man barely looked winded. He narrowed his eyes. "What's your problem, kid? You could've killed us both back there." Even though he was a foreigner, his Japanese was decent.

"I'll bite you to death, herbivore," Kyoya responded, dashing to the man again.

They instantaneously traded fierce blows. Kyoya's tonfas struck every bone imaginable on the man, who only blocked and dodged with unnerving ease. Kyoya narrowed his eyes. Was that kick just a fluke? Why won't this herbivore fight back? Regardless, he had the upper hand. He'd tear the leader to shreds.

Finally, he found a small opening. Kyoya faked a motion towards the man's rib. The other instantly moved to block it. Kyoya smirked, instantly striking the man's face with his other tonfa. The man grunted and stumbled back.

Kyoya took advantage of the man's daze by kicking him in the chest. He didn't waste time to follow up with a vicious strike to the man's sternum and his jaw. His blows grew in fervor as rage easily took over his mind.

Suddenly, something large hurled towards him from his left. He barely managed to dodge a big metal ball flung at his direction. The man stood up, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck.

"You're really pissing me off, kid," he said, swinging the metal ball easily over his head.

He launched it at Kyoya, spinning it rapidly. How was that even possible? The prefect grunted as his body started to get sucked in towards the ball direction. He tried to plant his feet firmly into the ground but realized it was futile when he couldn't move.

The man centered the ball and struck it with a palm. " _Senja Reppa_!"

Kyoya gritted his teeth. His body just wouldn't _move_. He could block the ball with his tonfas but that was just suicide. His body would most likely be crushed. Time didn't miraculously stop for him either. The ball sailed towards him, gaining speed. It was just about to reach his face when—

 _Thump!_

Another gust of wind blew every which way. Kyoya covered his face when debris nicked his skin. Dust billowed in the air around him; when it finally settled, he saw the man crushed underneath his metal ball and a familiar tiny figure standing in front of him.

"Carnivore," Kyoya said, narrowing his eyes. He never called for his uncle. Nobu probably did without him knowing.

"Kyoya," Fon said, nodding in polite greeting. The baby had the same faint smile on his face as usual. Nothing about him changed since the last time Kyoya saw him. "I'm glad I came in time." Fon glanced at the other man. "I suggest that you be careful. There is something off about him."

Yeah, Kyoya figured when the man just threw around a large metal ball with ease. Still it was different and he was excited at the challenge. It had been some time since he had an interesting opponent (no matter how passive the man was).

"I will bite him to death," he said, lunging at the man with his tonfas ready.

The man struggled a bit as he stood but reacted in time to dodge Kyoya's strikes. He took the brunt of Kyoya's strikes impressively. What was his body made of? No matter, he would continue to bite him to death.

"Oya, oya," the man suddenly said, looking at him with oddly-colored eyes. "You're a stubborn one."

Suddenly, Kyoya froze. He was…falling? No, he was lying down on his side. He gritted his teeth when he forced himself to move. Why wasn't he moving? His limbs felt impossibly heavy; however, he could feel glass nicking his skin, the gravel digging under his ribs—No. No. This wasn't happening.

His eyes darted around the empty, familiar road. Where was his uncle? Where was that man? What was going on? He had to move. Get up, Kyoya thought angrily, desperately trying to move his limbs. No, he didn't do desperate. He was a Hibari—they never cowed in to _anything_. But this felt too real to be fake. Was this a joke? No, he could clearly feel the glass and gravel underneath his skin. He could smell coolant…and gasoline…

Kyoya widened his eyes. There was a car in front of him—his parents' car. It was toppled over on its side and he could clearly see his mother and father in their seats.

His father was already dead, his head lolled to the side. His mother's lips were moving. Kyoya tried to look away but he found himself fixated on her mouth. She was saying the same thing over and over: "Kyo-chan, help me. Kyo-chan, help me. Kyo-chan, help me…"

Kyoya paled. His heart picked up its pace, thumping painfully against his chest. He could hear his blood pulsing in his ears. This wasn't happening, he thought. This wasn't real. But the gasoline and the glass and the—

"Kufufu," a voice said. "I must say, this is a fitting position for you."

Kyoya glared weakly at the man in front of him. It was the leader, but his right eye was crimson and had the kanji for one. He seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Kyoya swore he'd bite the herbivore to death.

"You're a mama's boy," the man said, placing his heavy foot on Kyoya's chest. "That's adorable. How would you f—" A flash of annoyance briefly came and went in his eyes. His smile became slightly strained. "It seems like we'll meet another time. _Ciao._ "

Kyoya suddenly found himself sitting on the ground in a daze. He blinked, trying to regain his bearings, when a small hand patted him on the shoulder.

"Kyoya, look at me," his uncle's soothing voice said. "It's me. You're okay now."

Kyoya looked around and was relieved to find himself back to…reality, he supposed.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Where is the herbivore?"

"He's gone," Fon said. "I was able to get you back in time."

" _What_?"

Fon frowned. "You need to rest, Kyoya. I'm sure you saw some things you didn't want to see. If he had gone any further, you would've been killed."

Kyoya froze. The smell of gasoline and coolant suddenly came back to him, hitting him in full force. He glared at his uncle. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His tiny uncle looked at him with sympathy. That was why he could never live up to the Hibari name—his uncle was too kind. Kyoya hated it. He knew how powerful his uncle was, but Fon chose to keep it under the radar and acted like some saint.

"I already called for Nobu to send some of his men here," Fon said. "He's in the hospital now. Can you stand, Kyoya?"

Kyoya smacked his uncle's hand away as he struggled to stand. His brain must've been messed with, he thought, seeing brief flashes of fire and glass in his vision. Had the man drugged him somehow? Regardless, he would bite that herbivore to death if he finds him again. His body just felt…tired.

A gentle hand patted him on the leg. Fon looked up at him, concerned. "Kyoya, you should rest before they come."

Kyoya clenched his teeth but gave in to his uncle's orders. He slumped none-too-gracefully on the ground and leaned back against a vacant building.

"What happened?" Kyoya asked again, trying to keep his voice steady.

"You don't want to know, Kyoya," Fon said solemnly. "It's best to rest for now. I'll let you know when they're here. Don't worry. I'll be here."

Kyoya stayed quiet. Fon never left his side, just like he said, and Kyoya would never admit to holding onto his uncle's sleeve like his life depended on it. Fon, thankfully, didn't say a word.

* * *

Fon could feel _it_ when he was on a plane to Namimori. When he neared the small town, the tremendous influx of Sky Flame overwhelmed him. They were extremely powerful, but he couldn't help but worry, regardless. They were practically oozing in the air, coating the town with their unique presence—it was like an extremely bright beacon. It was worse than he had thought.

As he approached Namimori University Hospital, Fon couldn't help but feel even more anxious. Whoever was the source of these flames had no idea to reign them in or control them—maybe they couldn't. The copious amount only furthered his suspicions; however, he still had to have a look himself.

"You can go ahead, Kyoya," Fon said, hopping out of the car. "There is something I need to take care of first." He smiled reassuringly. "I will visit _ji_ _ě_ _jie_ soon."

His nephew narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything.

Fon patted him on the leg. "I'll still be here. Don't worry, Kyoya."

Kyoya just huffed before heading into the chaotic ER room. Fon couldn't help but chuckle at his nephew's antics. With that, Fon followed the Sky Flames' trail. He frowned. The flames were so thick, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the source. The tracks spread in random directions, and all he could do was follow every one of them. That wasn't a problem—he _was_ the fastest Arcobaleno. Soon he passed by a closed room when his pacifier started to glow. Ah, well that would make things easier.

The door opened and a familiar hitman peeked his out. His yellow pacifier was glowing too. "Fon, come inside."

Fon nodded and quietly slipped in, closing the door behind him. He gave the room a cursory glance; it was bare, other than a large window that looked out into an operating room. He slightly grimaced at the gruesome procedure. A group of surgeons and nurses crowded around a female patient on the operating table. One of them, who looked too young to be a surgeon, was instructing everyone with a steady, light voice, his hands swiftly removing visible bone and metal fragments from the patient's cut-open head.

"It's him," Fon said quietly.

Reborn tipped his fedora. "What are your thoughts?"

Fon smiled wryly. "I'd like to sit down and drink some tea. I'm even tempted to leave the room." His eyes softened. "If I had Rain Flames, I would help him calm down. I'm surprised he's even standing. Does he know?"

"I doubt it. I tried calling Aria but she won't pick up. There has been no contact from the Giglio Nero Famiglia either. I've been trying to track their movements but…it's like they disappeared." Reborn's blank eyes darkened slightly. "I don't know what's happening but I don't like it."

"When did this start? His flames… They're overwhelming."

"They suddenly appeared last night. I'm not sure why, but I have my suspicions. When I first met Tsunayoshi, I tried to sense if he had any flames in case; however, I couldn't find anything other than some kind of obstruction."

Fon raised a brow. "How so?"

Reborn narrowed his eyes slightly. Fon had never seen him so serious before. "My flames encountered something that prevented me from reading his flames. I believe someone sealed them."

Fon widened his eyes. Sealed his flames? That was a nearly barbaric act. Flames were a natural part of a person's spiritual and emotional core; they were another extension of one's body. To seal them was depriving the person from accessing his mental capacities as effectively and could seriously warp their spirit. How could this Tsunayoshi manage to retain some sort of mental function for this long? Unless they were sealed when he was at an older age—that could be a possibility. The young man barely looked twenty.

"Who would seal his flames?" Fon said, a bit alarmed. "He's a civilian. He poses no threat to the underworld."

"But he's a civilian with Sky Flames," Reborn said. "He has even told me that he met Verde before. Someone must've known." His tone darkened. "I think it was that man."

Fon tensed. The Man with the Iron Hat. There was no one else who would know about the Arcobaleno curse as much as he did. The elusive man seemed to come and go when he felt like it. Fon was never fond of him. He had tricked them all into harboring the curse—that was something Fon would never forgive, and that was him being nice.

"Why would… Ah." It finally dawned on the man. The mysterious radio silence from the Giglio Nero Famiglia, the sudden appearance of Tsunayoshi's Sky Flames breaking through their seal, the power that oozed from them. "He must be—"

"We'll have to do more digging," Reborn interrupted. "I need to make sure the information is enough to confirm my theory."

Fon stared at him. Reborn was usually collected for the most part, and difficult to read. Seeing him show some hints of denial was out of character for the hitman—just any hint of an emotion was alarming. Fon didn't know why Reborn was denying the most credible conclusion of the situation, but he was smart enough not to address it. He wasn't keen on getting on the man's bad side.

"Of course," Fon said, nodding. "I will assist you in any way I can."

"I need to talk to your nephew."

"Kyoya? Why?"

"I went to investigate when I felt the sudden influx of Tsunayoshi's flames. Hibari was in his room and must've seen what triggered Tsunayoshi to act frightened. He and Nobu had set up a secure perimeter around Tsunayoshi's home." Reborn's eyes were trained almost intensely on the brunet. "He had woken up from a nightmare. I think it's a common occurrence for him. I'm not sure about the content, but I'm certain there's a link between them. Hibari seemed to recognize him before too, but Tsunayoshi didn't. I want to know more about their relationship. I have some theories but it'd be best to talk to him instead."

Fon digested the information with a bit of bafflement. Kyoya—his bloodthirsty, belligerent nephew—setting up a secure perimeter around Tsunayoshi's home? While Fon was not oblivious to Kyoya's softer side (even though the teen would say otherwise), it was rather curious to know that his nephew willingly went out of his way to ensure a specific person's safety. Yes, he was very protective of Namimori but that didn't extend to the citizens in some cases. Kyoya really needed to get a hold of his temper, Fon thought exasperatedly.

"I see," he said. "Maybe it's best that I talk to him. If you were to approach him personally, he will only see it as a threat." He smiled almost fondly. "That's just how he is. You can spare your time on something more productive in the meantime."

Reborn nodded. "I'll have a talk with Tsunayoshi."

"The ER is in chaos, Reborn. I highly doubt he'd spare you time. And he looks exhausted."

"I'll manage."

Fon was unsettled by the slight smirk on the hitman's face, but there was no way he could dissuade the stubborn man. He only hoped that Tsunayoshi would be okay under the brunt of Reborn's subsequent interrogation. He did save his sister's life after all. That was enough to warrant Fon's good side.

"By the way, there was a prison break in Vindice a week ago."

Fon frowned. "Yes, I've heard."

"Rokudo Mukuro was one of them."

Fon tensed. Of course, he thought, thinking back to the man with the steel ball. It was possible but he didn't want it to be true. Still, he had to evaluate all the threats that concerned his family.

"Reborn," he said dryly, "I believe we might have another problem."

Reborn looked at him sharply. "Explain."

"Mukuro might be in Namimori right now. I believe he's involved with the yakuza that tried to kill my sister." Fon glanced at the operating team. "I hope we get this sorted out soon. This will be very troublesome soon."

* * *

Tsuna snuck into the break room after the operation ended. It was a success, thank Kami. The patient's brain hadn't taken serious damage and she was somewhat conscious when she was brought in, but Tsuna couldn't take any chances. He had to face the facts. She might not be able to write properly and might have difficulty with math. The bullet had damaged her left parietal lobe. It was even a miracle it hadn't damaged anything else.

His hands shook slightly as he poured another cup of crap coffee. The break room was quiet, aside from the reporter's quiet voice coming from the TV. He just wanted to stop functioning and sleep or something to keep him from leaving the room. But he couldn't leave those patients.

"Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna nearly shrieked when the squeaky voice talked out of the blue. His cup fell to the floor and he cursed when some coffee splashed on his sneakers. "What the—You again?"

Reborn stared at him impassively from one of the tables in the room. Tsuna narrowed his eyes. The hitman looked…almost uncomfortable. "What's wrong?"

"Do you feel strange?" Reborn said, ignoring his question. "Overwhelmed?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "I just came out an intense surgery. I'm feeling absolutely peachy. Thanks for asking."

"Don't act stupid." Reborn tipped his fedora to cover his eyes. "Something happened last night to trigger your flames to come out."

Tsuna tensed. He remembered the orange flames that surrounded him when he had protected Kyoya. He didn't know how he could forget something that would be impossible to forget. When he tried to remember why, there was a clear gap in his memory, as if he just erased it somehow. Tsuna eyed the baby hitman warily. "What are you talking about?"

"You have the Sky Flames," Reborn said bluntly. "They are part of the Dying Will Flames that are prevalent mostly in the underworld; however, civilians are able to use them if their will is strong enough. Your flames are too powerful for your body to handle, which might explain how exhausted you must feel now. It's not because of the surgery or your irregular sleep schedule, though they are factors that are worsening your condition."

Tsuna blinked as he digested the information sluggishly. Sky Flames? Dying Will Flames? Will? Sleep? Yeah, sleep sounded great. Wait, Dying Will Flames. Yeah, let's…try to focus on that, Tsuna, he thought.

"I'm not sure if I got everything you said," he said slowly, "but yeah, I'd love to get some espresso now." He glanced at the clock. "I need to go. There are patients waiting."

"You're in no condition to work," Reborn said, hopping down to block his path. "Your body is at its limit. It's a miracle you're even staying up for this long."

Tsuna scowled. "What? And what right do you have to dictate what I can or can't do? This is my job. I need to help. This hospital is understaffed and needs every help it can get. I've been through worse."

"You're deteriorating on the inside. You need a way to contain your flames."

Tsuna threw his hands up in the air. "Kami, you're talking about flames and wills dying or whatever. Why couldn't you tell me when I'm, I don't know, more sober and functional? Really, this is just bad timing. Why do you even _care_?"

He was surprised when the hitman actually hesitated. An uneasiness coiled in his stomach. Sure, the flames and whatnot sounded outlandish, like they were straight out of a shonen manga or a fantasy book, but… There was a part of Tsuna that thought this all made sense. And he didn't like it.

"I don't have all night," Tsuna snapped, despite himself. He started to move towards the door. "We can talk later or s—"

A cane suddenly blocked him from going any further. Tsuna blinked when a masked man with an iron hat suddenly leaned in close to his face. He heard Reborn cock his gun behind him and was somewhat relieved that he had some sort of backup; but something inside him screamed danger when he looked at the odd man. The man also looked awfully familiar. Tsuna had seen his face before…

He widened his eyes. "Checker Face…"

The man slightly smirked, which seemed permanently etched onto his face. "Ah, so you do remember me. Or rather, you have seen me in some people's memories, I presume? I'm glad. We can get right to it then."

Tsuna took a step back, but the man only stepped closer, almost caging him in.

"Checker Face," Reborn said, his voice low, "I won't hesitate to shoot you."

The man cocked his head slightly. "How rude, Reborn. I was only trying to acquaint myself with Tsunayoshi-kun here." He smiled. "But I'm glad you seemed to take a liking to him already."

"You're the one who cursed them," Tsuna said, pieces of his past dreams rushing back to him. "You tricked them into becoming the Arcobaleno."

Checker Face smiled. "Small sacrifices are necessary to prevent greater ones, Tsunayoshi-kun."

"What are you doing here?" Reborn demanded.

"You're not stupid, Reborn," Checker Face said almost mockingly. "I'm just here to help Tsunayoshi-kun." He looked at Tsuna, and the brunet could've sworn he saw a hint of red behind his metal eye-mask. "Would you let me help you, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about? I don't need your help."

"It's very simple." Checker Face took out a glowing orange pacifier from his pocket. "As Reborn said, you're deteriorating from the inside and I'd rather not have you dying so soon. You still have a long way to go, Tsunayoshi-kun."

"Tsunayoshi," Reborn said, "don't trust anything he says."

Checker Face grinned. "There's no choice in the matter anyways. Congratulations, Tsunayoshi-kun. You are now the new Sky Arcobaleno."

Tsuna widened his eyes. "Wait, I didn't—"

A sudden bright light blinded him. Then he saw nothing but darkness and an orange flame flickering within him.

* * *

 **Translation:**

 **Ciao** **–** **"** **goodbye** **"** **in Italian**

 **Senja Reppa - Thousand Snake Fierce Domination**

 **Medical Terms:**

 **Parietal lobe** **–** **a part of the cortex; processes sensory information that had to do with taste, temperature, and touch**

* * *

 **A/N Ahh, I** **'** **m so sorry this took a while! Midterms are finally over but work just keep piling up. :^)**

 **I hope the action scene was written okay. If not, then I** **'** **m so sorry! I pray that it** **'** **s passable at least. But anyways, Fon is here! And Mukuro! And Checker Face! I was worried about the chapter and wasn** **'** **t at all satisfied on how it turned out, but I felt bad for keeping you peeps hanging** **…**

 **To clear some things, this is the beginning of the Kokuyo Arc where things will start heating up. I apologize if there are too many OC** **'** **s and if they feel like they** **'** **re just being used to have Tsuna use his skills, but from here, the canon characters will gain more focus. Thank you for your patience and for sticking with the story this far!**

 **On another note, I have a KHRxPJO crossover out (because I couldn** **'** **t help it** **—** **sue me) called** **"** **Guardians of Olympus** **"** **. If you** **'** **d like, check that out! Additionally, I might publish a kind of drabble/one-shot fic where I can store random Tsuna pairing stories in there based on songs that I listen to. You peeps will be able to request stuff as well! Let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you so much for reading. Leave a review to let me know what you think! I** **'** **ll try to answer questions as soon as I can!**

 **I hope to see you again in the next chapter!**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **(I promise the next chapter will be better!)**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	12. Chapter 11

" _Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will."_ – Jawaharlal Nehru

* * *

As the bright light died down, Reborn instantly aimed his gun at the grinning Checker Face. The rage he harbored against the man only grew within his small, cursed body, but he restrained himself admirably from raining bullets on the other. He glanced at Tsunayoshi and nearly sighed in relief when he saw that the brunet was still standing in his normal form, although a bit dazed. A small glow caught his attention—the Sky pacifier was still in Checker Face's hand.

The man was just messing with them, Reborn realized angrily.

Tsunayoshi was the first one to break the heavy silence. He opened his eyes and gaped at Checker Face. "What the hell was that? Are you crazy?"

Checker Face chuckled. "That was quite the fun ride, wasn't it, Tsunayoshi-kun? Your reaction was very amusing."

"What are you trying to pull, Checker Face?" Reborn said tightly. "Stop fooling around and wasting our time."

The other man's face scrunched into what seemed to be a pout. It was still disgusting nonetheless. "You're no fun, Reborn. Let a man enjoy the simple pleasures in life."

Tsunayoshi snapped his fingers in front of Checker Face. "Excuse me, I'm right here. Threatening my life like that shouldn't be—"

Checker Face grabbed his wrist with a sharp grin. "Ah, Tsunayoshi-kun, remember the position you're in. Did you honestly believe that I'd just _give_ the pacifier to you? I'm not that cruel. But, if you don't accept your role, you will die right here. Your own flames are reaching maximum capacity already."

The brunet widened his eyes. "What?"

"I've already wasted some time standing on the sidelines," Checker Face said lightly. "So now it's up to you, Tsunayoshi-kun. Do you want to live longer or waste away? It's a rather simple choice. I'm more in favor of the first one."

"What about Aria?" Reborn said. "What did you do to her?"

Checker Face smiled. "Oh, don't worry about her, Reborn. She's fine. I haven't harmed her in any way; although, she is currently incapacitated." He directed his gaze to the struggling brunet. "Well?"

"I don't even understand _what_ is going on," Tsunayoshi said tiredly. "Flames, wills dying, or whatever. Couldn't you all just come back when I'm at least functioning right?"

"If you want to continue functioning at all, Tsunayoshi-kun, then I suggest taking this." Checker Face held the orange pacifier close to Tsunayoshi's face. "You're exhausted, aren't you, Tsunayoshi-kun? You've been pulling through quite admirably so far, but you won't be able to push forward any longer when morning comes."

Ignoring the desperate cry of the other's Sky Flames, Reborn suppressed his own, which were already reaching out to the young man. He tipped his fedora to cover the ugly scowl on his face. His mind reeled as he went through their options, which only came down to taking that damn cursed pacifier. Tsunayoshi was a _civilian_ with no connections to the mafia, to the underworld. He shouldn't have been involved in the first place, but fate had other plans and it was starting to piss Reborn off. (Then again, Skull was technically also a civilian but Reborn didn't spare the lackey much thought.)

The hitman glanced around the spacious room. It wasn't like they could escape either. Tsunayoshi would resist or probably faint from the sudden adrenaline, and that was something Reborn didn't want either. Even if he didn't know the extent of Checker Face's powers, his Mist flames were powerful and he'd probably find them somehow very quickly.

This wasn't what Reborn expected and he did _not_ like it—at all.

"Why—Why me?" Tsunayoshi said almost breathlessly, his body slowly slumping from struggling.

Checker Face smiled pleasantly. "Whatever the Tri-ni-set commands, I just follow. Of course, it was quite the unexpected turn of events but I'm not complaining. Although, you shouldn't be putting up such a fuss, Tsunayoshi-kun. I'm granting you the one thing that will save your life at this moment."

"You planned this, didn't you?" the brunet said, glaring weakly. "That's why, in Italy… You knew what was wrong with me."

Reborn filed that information away in his head to ponder later. He gave a warning shot when Checker Face grabbed Tsunayoshi by the waist, who flinched at the loud bang. A trickle of blood dripped from the man's cheek.

"Let him go."

Checker Face merely grinned. "Oh, look at that, Tsunayoshi-kun. You're already becoming a perfect fit. So, what is your decision?"

The brunet looked back at Reborn with pleading eyes. "Reborn…"

The baby hitman clenched his jaw. "There…are no other options, unless you want to die, Tsunayoshi."

The silence in the room was deafening. Tsunayoshi glared at the floor, his thoughts jumbled and a mess in his lethargic mind. Reborn resisted the urge to kick Checker Face away and comfort the panicking young surgeon. This wasn't the goddamn time.

 _Our Sky is suffering_ , a faint whisper said in the back of his head.

Reborn ignored it.

Finally, Tsunayoshi let out a shuddering sigh. "I'll…take it."

The man just smiled. "I knew you'd see things my way, Tsunayoshi-kun—or rather the Tri-ni-set's way."

Tsunayoshi scowled. "I'm going to find a way to break the curse."

"Selfish, are we? And you were just about to be anointed, too."

"No." The doctor's voice was softer now. "No one…deserves this."

Checker Face hummed to himself. "Whatever you say, Tsunayoshi-kun."

He placed the orange pacifier in the young man's hand, which shone brighter, blinding Reborn and Tsunayoshi. A warm sensation rippled through Reborn's body as an influx of Sky Flames wrapped around his own. His Sun Flames purred while they harmonized, much to his horror. However, he was powerless to stop it. As the light died down, Reborn quickly moved to check on Tsunayoshi. Checker Face was already long gone.

The brunet was still in his normal form, just like how Aria was, but that didn't comfort Reborn in the slightest. Tsunayoshi was now entering a different battle.

"I wished you shot him in the chest," the brunet muttered, picking himself up from the floor with trembling arms. "Preferably in the heart. Greatest hitman my ass."

Reborn used every amount of willpower he had not to bash the brunet's head in. Other than that, his face was completely blank. "How do you feel?"

Tsunayoshi rolled his stiff shoulders a couple of times and cracked his neck. "I'm still tired but…I can think clearer, I guess. It's like, everything is contained. I don't know how to explain it. Maybe a getting over a bad hangover or something? This is still new to me." The orange pacifier around his neck was still glowing like Reborn's. Tsunayoshi frowned at that. "That might get annoying."

"It means that there are other Arcobaleno around."

"Ah."

Tsunayoshi glanced at the clock and raised a brow. "Is the clock broken? It still says it's 2:46 AM."

"Checker Face must've kept us in a contained space where time didn't move."

Tsunayoshi rolled his eyes. "How considerate."

He walked towards the door, and it slightly irked Reborn that he was brushing off this whole situation like it never happened. However, a part of him understood that this was the brunet's way of coping and Reborn didn't want to make anything worse if he pushed him.

That would come later.

"Did you mean it?" he found himself saying.

Tsunayoshi paused in his step. "Mean what?"

"You know what I mean, Tsunayoshi. Don't test my patience."

The brunet tucked his pacifier under his shirt and pulled his long white doctor's coat closer around his thin body. "Yeah, I meant it."

"Why?"

Tsunayoshi blinked. "Do you really want to be stuck in that body forever, Reborn? Also, I'm not a fan of dying before twenty-five."

The hitman silently watched him leave the room before following after, his feet silent against the floor.

They'd talk more later. He just had to make sure the young doctor didn't work himself to death before they did.

* * *

After being briefed by Kusakabe and Nobu of the men's conditions, Kyoya quickly left to his aunt's room to avoid the ridiculously large crowding in the ER. His thoughts were still reeling from his pathetic defeat earlier. He clicked his tongue as he walked up the stairs to the ICU. His uncle had to see him in such a weak state and he even saved him, too.

That was unacceptable.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder where his uncle ran off to. Thinking back, Kyoya realized that he hadn't seen the brunet carnivore in the ER either. He pursed his lips and pinched he bridge of his nose, a small motion of weakness again on his part. Quickly composing himself, he merely walked past the receptionist desk and ignored the nurse sputtering after him.

When he found his aunt's room, he opened the door. He stared when he saw Fon and his aunt talking in low, hushed tones.

"Kyo-chan," Sachiko said, giving him a small smile. "We were just talking about you. Are you alright?"

Kyoya closed the door behind him and pulled out a chair to sit on, putting some distance between them. Fon just smiled pleasantly, which only made the prefect more irritated.

"I heard what happened from Fon," Sachiko continued, undeterred by her nephew's temper. "It is a little disappointing that an outside rogue is possibly messing with us, but I think it's nothing we can't handle."

That got Kyoya's attention. A rogue? Could someone outside of the yakuza be messing with them then? But the Hitsuji Clan were too smart to get manipulated. Then again, he hadn't really concerned himself about them since they hadn't been a threat to Namimori and his aunt never really told him about what happened in Tokyo.

He scowled as he sank deeper in his thoughts. His mind went back to the herbivore he fought before and his bizarre fighting style. Fon also mentioned how there was something off about him. Kyoya just didn't know what he was referring to.

"Kyo-chan, you're going to get wrinkles."

Sachiko's teasing voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Kyoya just gave her a small grunt of acknowledgement, not even bothering to talk.

Fon sighed lightly. "I told you that you shouldn't underestimate our enemy, _ji_ _ě_ _jie._ "

"You worry too much, Fon."

"Rightfully so."

Sachiko merely patted her little brother on the head. "Yes, yes. Now, you wanted to speak to Kyo-chan, as I recall."

Kyoya glared at Fon. He better not have told his aunt something he shouldn't have.

"Yes." His uncle turned to him, his brown eyes uncharacteristically serious. "I wanted to ask you some questions regarding Satou Tsunayoshi, Kyoya."

The prefect narrowed his eyes. He didn't like where this was going. Was the carnivore in trouble?

"Why?"

"It's to confirm a theory."

"What theory?"

Fon smiled slightly. "I'm not all that sure myself. I'm sure you are aware that Reborn is in town, yes?"

Kyoya bristled at the name, his blood instantly thrumming in his veins at the thought of the strong hitman. His fingers twitched for his tonfas, but he suppressed the powerful urge to run off and find the baby.

"He had wanted to ask you about the incident at Tsunayoshi's house last night. I think you know what I'm talking about."

Even Sachiko, pale and weak on her hospital bed, looked curious as to what his uncle meant. Kyoya just scowled.

"Why? Is there something wrong with the carnivore?"

"Well, yes. Tsunayoshi is deteriorating on the inside—rapidly as well."

Silence gripped the room in a tight grip. Kyoya didn't realize his body was rigid until Fon reached out to pat his arm comfortingly. He instantly leaned away from the touch.

"Oh, my," Sachiko said quietly. "Is he sick?"

"No. It is not an illness that can be cured through conventional means." At this, Fon looked troubled and Kyoya had to harshly ignore the dread curling in his stomach. "It is more spiritual in a sense. I am sure you are aware of Dying Will Flames, _ji_ _ě_ _jie._ "

Kyoya furrowed his brows when his aunt nodded. Dying…Will Flames?

"They are more regarded as a symbol of the Mafia, Kyoya. They're like a high-density form of energy that is an extension of one's life-force. Think of it as a natural part of someone's spiritual and emotional core. The more powerful someone's resolve is, the more powerful the flames are. Of course, not everyone can easily access their flames." Fon slipped his hand from his long sleeve. Kyoya stared, amazed, when a pure red flame suddenly flickered on his palm. "This is mine, which is known as the Storm Flame. There are seven in total, each possessing its own properties. Mine is Disintegration. With it, I was able to help you out of the illusion when you fought that man."

That flame—Suddenly, Kyoya remembered the carnivore's body burning bright with pure orange flames. The sheer power and intensity at that moment made him still shiver.

"The carnivore," he said slowly, "he had them, too. They were orange."

Fon nodded. "Those are Sky Flames. They are the leader of the Seven Flames. Their special property is Harmony—it allows them to synchronize and merge with other flame-users. They're exceptionally rare and are only seen in a handful of mafia dons." He frowned. "Kyoya, you must tell me how you know about this. It must've been a very stressful situation for Tsunayoshi to tap into his flames like that."

Kyoya crossed his arms across his chest, his gaze directed at the edge of his aunt's bed. He refused to look at Fon or Sachiko. He showed enough weakness today, which was too much for someone like him.

"I met the carnivore after the funeral," he said, his voice terse.

"When you ran away," Sachiko said softly, slowly piecing it together.

"He… _saved_ me from the Sakamoto herbivores." Just _saying_ that stupid word made Kyoya internally cringe. "We were outnumbered, but then he suddenly erupted into flames and burned the herbivores." He shifted slightly in his seat. "You know the rest, carnivore."

Resting her body against her pillow, Sachiko had her pale lips curled in a wry smile. "It seems like we owe Satou-sensei a greater debt than I realized."

"Why do you need to know, carnivore?" Kyoya said, looking at Fon with sharp eyes.

"Reborn believes that something must have triggered them to come out again. When they first met, he had tried to see if Tsunayoshi had any flames; however, there was something preventing him from doing so. Something last night must have triggered him to unlock them again."

Sachiko furrowed her brows. "Unlock them?" She slightly widened her eyes. "They were _sealed_?"

Fon nodded solemnly. "Yes. Who or why, I don't know, but it is upsetting. Tsunayoshi's body is too weak from being disconnected from his flames for so long—I am not sure how long he was denied access to them, but it must've been a while—and he cannot handle them in his current state, I'm afraid. Whatever sealed his flames is now broken, and all that suppressed energy has built up over the years and is now spilling over. It might be inhibiting his mental and reasoning capacities. I'm surprised that he's even remotely functioning at this point." He slightly grimaced. "I even felt it on my flight here. Even now, it is still overwhelming."

"Whoever did that will pay dearly," Sachiko said with surprising venom. "How barbaric."

Kyoya was still trying to piece the information in his mind, but he was smart enough to realize how terrible sealing one's flames was. It was simply keeping a carnivore from reaching its full potential and ferocity.

Fon was quick to appease his sister's anger. "Of course, it is only a theory, _ji_ _ě_ _jie._ Kyoya has confirmed some of it for me. There are some anomalies that must be considered as well; however, that is the best I can come up with. I'm sure Reborn has more information regarding—"

Suddenly, Fon tensed. A strange look overcame his eyes, putting Kyoya and Sachiko on edge.

"Fon, are you alright?" Sachiko said, reaching out for her brother.

The small baby immediately stood up from the bed and hopped down onto the floor. He bowed quickly. "I apologize, _ji_ _ě_ _jie,_ but an unexpected incident has occurred and I must check to confirm it."

"What is it?"

Fon didn't look any better. In fact, he looked even more morose and that didn't sit well with Kyoya. "I believe that Tsunayoshi was just condemned to an even worse fate."

* * *

The rush and urgency in the ER were enough to reel Tsuna back to reality, even if it was for a short while. He had people to save now. He'd worry about his fucked-up life later. The pacifier resting on his chest was still warm.

At least his mind was less of a mess now than it was before. Less drowning and muddled thoughts. Although, his body still felt sluggish but that was most likely from running on only coffee all day. It was normal (and maybe a bit more exciting) for him. He wasn't sure where Reborn went—he was pretty sure that the baby hitman followed him out—but assumed he was in the shadows again doing Kami knows what. As long as he didn't interfere with his work, Tsuna was fine with it.

When the brunet reached for one of the patient clipboards on the reception desk, a nurse stood up and said, "Satou-sensei, Sasagawa-san's family is waiting to see you."

Tsuna sighed softly as he shifted through the papers quickly to get a quick assessment of the ER's situation so far. "Okay, how are her vitals?"

"There is nothing abnormal in her condition so far, Satou-sensei."

Tsuna smiled faintly. "Good. Have a nurse check on her every half hour or so. Keep an eye on any change in blood pressure or heart rate, the usual. I don't want to take any chances. How's the other critical patient? Kano Hiroki, I believe."

"Kurokawa-sensei is currently operating on him in OR Three."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Alright. Let me know how that goes. How are you holding up, Chiba-san?"

The short woman blushed. "Ah, I'm fine, Satou-sensei. There's no need to worry about me. We're more worried about you! You look exhausted."

Tsuna smiled reassuringly. "I'm okay, Chiba-san, really. Where's the family again?"

"In the waiting room with Mochida-san."

"Okay. Thank you, Chiba-san. Page me if anything goes wrong. I'll be back in a moment."

"Of course, Satou-sensei!"

Tsuna grabbed Sasagawa Makoto's clipboard and walked quickly to the waiting room. There were some people in there, mostly some of Hibari's men talking on their phones in hushed tones, when he noticed the patient's family near the windows.

He recognized one of them to be the girl who alerted him and Nezu-sensei about her teacher back in Namimori Middle. Detective Mochida was comforting a clearly distraught man who Tsuna assumed was the husband. A tall teenage boy with white hair stood by them solemnly, keeping a brave face for them all.

"Sasagawa-san?" he said, approaching them.

The husband immediately looked up, his eyes wide. "Yes, that's me! I—How is my wife? She's okay, right? Please tell me she's alright."

Tsuna nodded. "Your wife is currently in stable condition, and very lucky. She was still somewhat conscious when she came in and the bullet didn't damage anything too critical than it should have."

The other man rubbed his face with his hands and sagged in his seat. "Kami, thank Kami…"

"Ano, Satou-sensei," the girl said, her eyes teary. "What do you mean by not damaging anything too critical? Is there something…wrong?"

"Her left parietal lobe was damaged, I'm afraid. We were able to salvage what we could, but she will have Gerstmann Syndrome when she wakes up. She'll have trouble writing, calculating mathematics, distinguishing left and right, and identifying fingers, so I strongly advise that she does not return back to the field. There is no cure for it, but she'll be able to pull through with the right occupational and speech therapies. In most cases, many of the symptoms will diminish over time since she's an adult. However, I assure you that she's in good hands."

Tsuna hated this part of the job, but he was in no position to complain. He remained stoic as his words finally settled in their minds.

He jumped in surprise when the husband grabbed his coat. Falling onto his knees, the man bowed his head low, startling everyone around them.

"Thank you…Thank you, Satou-sensei," he said. "Thank you…"

"Otou-san," the girl said, her voice cracking. She looked at Tsuna and bowed low, too. "Thank you, Satou-sensei. Really, thank you."

Tsuna gestured towards the door. "If you'd like, you can see her now; but I'd advise not to bother her. She's still unconscious. I'm sure she'd love it if you were there when she wakes up."

The son nodded. "Extreme thanks, Satou-sensei."

After calling a nurse to lead them to Makoto's room, Tsuna went back to the receptionist desk to gather more of the patients' information.

"Chiba-san, I need to get any available OR rooms prepped for surgery," he said. "Can you assemble a small team before I get back?"

"Of course, Satou-sensei."

"Thank you. And if Kurokawa-sensei is finished, let him know that he'll have to operate on some more patients. Just a quick heads-up, you know?"

The nurse smiled. "Don't worry, Satou-sensei. I got it covered."

"You're a saint, Chiba-san."

Tsuna quickly walked towards the ER to check on the other patients. Groans and shouts filled the air, including the smell of blood. Most of them seemed stabilized but some really needed to get to surgery soon. Fuck, if they had more surgeons on hand, this would be a much smoother process.

"Satou-sensei!"

Tsuna turned around to see Kon-san dash towards him with wide eyes.

"One of the patients is going into shock!"

The brunet cursed as he followed the nurse to one of the beds he passed by. He immediately pushed a stuttering resident to the side and checked the patient's vitals. The man was breathing shallowly, his skin was pale and clammy, and a large amount of blood was leaking from his poorly-bandaged abdomen.

"Who the fuck bandaged this?" Tsuna snapped, checking the man's pulse.

It was weak and rapid. Shit.

"I—I did," the resident said, his eyes wide.

Tsuna pressed a clean towel against the man's wound. It wouldn't stop bleeding. "Sir, can you hear me? Stay with me. Everything will be fine. Nod if you can hear me."

The man just groaned in pain, his eyes fluttering. His heartbeat was not getting any better. Tsuna clenched his teeth and glanced behind him. Horie-sensei stood there, gaping at the scene.

"Do you not have fucking eyes?" Tsuna said, glaring at the physician. "Why weren't you watching this idiot bandage the patient?"

The man had the balls to look indignant. "Now look here, Sat—"

"Move out of the way!" Tsuna gestured to the patient's bed. "Kon-san, help me to the OR. He needs surgery now!"

The nurse nodded and quickly followed his orders. At least there was one sensible person in this place. Tsuna kept the towel pressed firmly on the patient's wound. A familiar blonde hair caught his eye and he nearly sagged in relief.

"Ema!"

She immediately turned around at the call of her name. Two cups of coffee were in her hands. Bless her soul. Her eyes zeroed in on the patient when she saw Tsuna and Kon-san wheel him out.

"What's wrong?" she said, placing the cups on the receptionist desk.

"He's going into hemorrhagic shock," Tsuna said. "I need a quick MRI and CT scan. I don't know how many bullets he has in his abdomen, but it's not pretty. Chiba-san, are the OR rooms prepped?"

"Yes, Satou-sensei! I'll send a team for you in OR 2!"

"Good, let Kurokawa-sensei know when he gets out. Ema."

The woman nodded and immediately followed him. A small blur of red and black caught his eye, but Tsuna didn't acknowledge them.

The evening was just beginning.

* * *

A small chuckle escaped past his lips. Interesting. Namimori was very interesting. More so than he thought.

"Mukuro-sama," M.M said, tilting her head questioningly, "what's so funny?"

The other teen just leaned his chin on his fist. A smile etched his devious face while he filtered the newly-acquired information in his mind. He was already thinking five steps ahead of everyone else. He hummed softly to himself while his subordinates eyed him curiously.

"I think there might be a slight change of plans," he said. "Where is the boy?"

"He's still unconscious-byon, Mukuro-sama," Ken said happily.

"Wake him up."

Ken blinked. "But he can't give us any rankings-byon, Mukuro-sama. What do you want us to do-byon?"

Mukuro's brow twitched slightly. "Oya, oya. Are you questioning me, Ken?"

Ken paled and quickly shook his head. "No, Mukuro-sama! Never-byon!"

Chikusa sighed. "You really are an idiot, Ken."

"Shut the hell up, you bastard!"

Mukuro vaguely wondered how he got saddled with these idiots in the first place. He beckoned Lancia to the couch.

"Lancia, we're going to have use those yakuza men to our advantage. Let them know that it was the police who killed those men in Kokuyo Land and let them wreak havoc in Namimori. You can be as messy however you want."

"Yes, Mukuro-sama," the man said.

Mukuro smirked. "You three will have to get creative in drawing out the Decimo heirs. They haven't established their guardians yet, but they're mostly here. I'm sure you can do that easily, yes?"

"Yes, Mukuro-sama!" the three other teens responded eagerly.

Well, more like Ken and M.M.

"What are you going to do with the boy, Mukuro-sama?" Chikusa said.

"You don't have to worry, Chikusa. Birds will give you the intel when you leave."

Ah, yes. That boy will be used as bait for the new shift in his plans. This was much better than Mukuro had thought.

He didn't forget the impressive flood of Sky Flames that wrapped around Namimori since he arrived. They were powerful, and much to his surprise and delight, not from the Decimo heirs. When they suddenly receded, Mukuro had already pinpointed where they came from.

 _Satou Tsunayoshi,_ he thought. _Your body will be_ mine.

* * *

 **A/N Ahhhhh. I'm so sorry this took forever to update. I hope you can forgive me, peeps (And just in time for Christmas, ahaha)! Thank you for the reviews and favorites and follows! Makes me relieved you peeps are still sticking with this story!**

 **So now, we'll be heading into the Kokuyo Arc, which is…almost radically different from canon but not really since Mukuro still wants Tsuna's body in this, ahaha. Kind of sounds wrong, but hey, that's what the guy said in canon.**

 **Checker Face is just a big-ass troll. Enough said. Poor Tsuna. Trying to push everything away won't help with what you're dealing with. He won't be stuck in an infant form since Aria and Yuni weren't in infant forms and being cursed with a short life is already overkill, so…yeah. Unless you'd like to see a baby operating on bodies in the OR. That's a pretty hilarious image, honestly.**

 **Just a heads-up: more action later, yay! I really am sorry that it's been pretty slow so far, but hey, think of it as the Daily Life Arc so far, ahaha.**

 **I hope that some of the information here answers some of the questions you peeps had. If you need any clarifications, leave a question or two and I'll respond as soon as I can!**

 **Thank you for reading! I really do appreciate it, peeps!**

 **I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day and a Merry Christmas~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


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